


Connections

by SweetMemories1998



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-29
Updated: 2018-04-23
Packaged: 2019-01-06 16:36:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 160,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12214662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetMemories1998/pseuds/SweetMemories1998
Summary: Wreckage. Death. Forgotten enemies. Juvia's past was truly traumatic, but Gray helped her to move on and find happiness. During the Games, their feelings finally become clear, but love is never simple. A childhood connection might bring them closer, but the truth about who she is could tear them apart. Amongst so many secrets and deadly enemies, how will they survive? Gruvia, Jerza, Lyredy. Grand Magic Games.





	1. Conversations

**Hello, everybody. This is my first time writing Fairy Tail fanfic, so go easy on me. I'll let you know that I've only watched the English dub and haven't read all of the Manga, I've stopped in the Avatar arc. Therefore, there won't be any mention of the suffixes -sama, -chan or anything else there is on the original and Juvia won't be talking in third person. Hope you can bear with that.**

**This is a Gruvia Fanfic, since they're my OTP, but I will try my best to include all the other main couples and characters. You can also expect a lot of GrayXErza and GajeelXJuvia friendship. If there's a couple you wish to see more, feel free to tell me and I'll try to include them. I'm always willing to take your suggestions. Don't be shy, you guys, this story's for me, but it's also for you.**

**Now, as for the plot, I'll be giving you clues regarding the major plot twists I have planned and I would love if you shared all your theories. I'll warn you that this story will be crazy and maybe too complicated, so don't hesitate to ask if you don't understand things.**

**This story will begin at the Grand Magic Games, but there will be some differences. I'll warn you in advance that this is turning out to be extremely cliché and the characters might be a bit OOC, specially Gray. I'm a hopeless romantic, so you can expect a lot of romance here.**

**Updates should come weekly, so I have time to write the chapters. So far they have been reaching 5000 words, so that should be their usual length. Tell me if you think that's too long, so maybe I'll try to divide them.**

* * *

I won't say I'm in love-Hercules

You keep on denying

Who you are and how you're feeling

Baby, we're not buying

No chance, now way

I won't say it, no, no

Give up, give in

Check the grin you're in love

This scene won't play,

I won't say I'm in love

* * *

**Good luck! Hope you enjoy this first chapter!**

It was the second night of the X791 Grand Magic Games and everyone was talking about the events of that day. Whether it was Mirajane and Jenny's sexy battle or Kagura and Yukino's surprising one, everyone was excited for what was to come next. However, the participants of the game itself didn't feel the same way as they dreaded the challenges they might have to face and the people that might get hurt in what had turned out to a much harder competition than they had expected.

In the Fairy Tail Guild, the members celebrated their victories that day, although some of them could only think of their losses the day before. Lucy and Gray, who had lost their battles in humiliating and unfair ways, were in no mood for celebrating that night and that was shown clearly as they declined Natsu's suggestions of having a drinking contest and Gray even avoided fighting with the dragon slayer. Their friends didn't mention anything for they knew it was best to leave the two members with their thoughts.

Even Juvia, who would usually be all over Gray, congratulating him even if he didn't accomplish anything, was giving him space. The ice mage was thankful for that, he didn't want to deal with her over affectionate ways that night, but part of him actually missed it. After al, Gray had gotten used to her always being around after so long and it was strange not to have her by his side. He was unaware that the real reason behind her distance was the meaning of that day, July 2nd. If he did, he might have seeked her, knowing she needed him that night. However, Juvia was currently outside the inn, talking with none other than Gajeel Redfox.

Gajeel was Juvia's oldest friend and the only person who knew what that date meant to her. Although Juvia was closer to many amongst the guild and had built a strong friendship with Cana, Lisanna, Lucy and Erza, she wasn't ready to discuss the nightmares that would sometimes haunt her and the horrors of her past. She avoided talking about it for she didn't want anyone looking at her differently if they knew just how broken she really was.

Gajeel was the only one who knew and not because she had told him, he had known from the very start. He could read her better than anyone and that was why they were best friends. Despite their strange dinamic and way of showing each other they cared, their friendship was stronger than any.

"So, how are you doing?" The iron dragon slayer awkwardly asked and Juvia smiled.

"I'm okay. Its been so long that it doesn't hurt as much as it used to."She replied and Gajeel nodded before he approached her until they were both leaning on the balcony. She knew that he was no good at comforting people and he hated crying women, so she tried her best to hold the tears that threatened to fall.

"Have you talked to stripper since, you know..."He trailed off and she knew that he was referring to their fight the previous day and the water mage sighed. She had been avoiding Gray since the fight, knowing he was probably mad at her for distracting him and needed some space. Besides, the last thing she wanted that day was to deal with his indifference, it would only make it hurt more.

"No, I'm trying to give him some space."She told her best friend and he had nothing to say about that, so silence reigned over them. Although she was glad for his company, both knew that he wasn't her first choice. Gajeel had long since accepted that Juvia's world now revolved around Gray and he was the one she wished by her side. He wasn't jealous because he knew that they would always remain best friends, no matter what lovers may come.

"I really don't know what you see in him."Gajeel finally spoke up after a few minutes of silence and she raised her eyebrows at him. She knew exactly how Gajeel felt towards Gray, but the iron dragon slayer usually avoided talking about it, knowing her undesire to do so."I mean, he doesn't seem to care much about you, even after everything you did. He didn't even apologize for being a jerk yesterday. So why do you care?"

"Because I love him."Juvia replied firmly, a sign she wished no further discussion. The subject of Gray and her relationship with him was a sensitive one and Gajeel knew better than to bring it up. However, he was tired of watching his friend suffer with this one-sided love, she had enough heartbreak to last a lifetime.

"Just think you could do better."The iron dragon slayer surprised himself with his words as he was not one to ever discuss romantic matters, but this was important. After all, Juvia was his oldest friend, so if he was ever going to talk about love, she would be the only person he might go to. There was someone else too, but he tried to push the thought of another blue haired woman from his mind.

"You just don't understand because you've never been in love."Juvia's words brought him back to reality and Gajeel sighed, now he wouldn't be able to escape feelings talk."When you love someone the way I love him, nothing else matters. Even if he doesn't return my feelings, at least he doesn't completely push me away. As long as I'm allowed to be by his side, I'm content." He could understand that, a bit. When it came to a certain blue haired woman, Gajeel felt like being by her side was enough to make him happier than he had been in years. Of course, he would never admit that. He wasn't that kind of guy.

"Whatever you say."The iron dragon slayer shrugged and they were silent once again. Juvia touched the heart raindrop shaped necklace she always carried with her and Gajeel knew she was thinking about the person who had given it to her. Her mother, a remarkable and special woman, from what Juvia had told him. Although even she didn't know much about the woman who had birthed her, she hadn't been around for long in Juvia's life.

Soon her thoughts changed to Gray, as they usually did, and her face paled. Their relationship was a complicated one, that's for sure. And yet, she never gave up, never would. And Gajeel knew it was about more than just love.

"I'm so scared."She admitted after a few minutes and he looked at her, surprised. She never spoke about the main reason why she kept going after the ice mage, always afraid that someone else might overhear and start asking questions she didn't wish to answer. It was a common knowledge between them, but she had never said it out loud. "Scared that he'll leave one day and everything will be back to what it was." Rain started to fall, slowly soaking them, but they didn't move. Gajeel knew that the rain couldn't be avoided on that day, July 2nd. Not when Juvia was hurting because of the loss of someone loved. Someone she barely knew, but loved anyway. Someone whose presence she felt in the rain, someone who had become the rain itself.

"I doubt that would happen, you're stronger now and you've got others who care."Gajeel tried to assure her, to no use.

"He's the reason everything's better and you know it. It's because of him that the rain went away and the nightmares..."She paused and he waited for her to continue, knowing better than to interrupt her when she was finally saying it. "I've barely had them since I met him and he became my entire world. Being able to focus on him has given my life a new meaning and I'm so terrified that if he ever leaves, they will come back to haunt me."

By then she was crying, her tears barely noticeable because of the rain. The thought of her life going back to the time when she would have constant nightmares about death and pain, when the rain would fall even harder due to the depression that the memories brought her and she would avoid everyone and anyone, not wanting them to see her at her weakest. One of her biggest fears.

"If he leaves, then I will drag him down and kick his ass for being such a blind jerk. He doesn't deserve you, Juvia." She only cried harder at his words and he started freaking out. He so didn't know how to deal with women. After sighing deeply, he wrapped his arms around her. "You should really talk to him."He tried to end the conversation and she noticed it. Despite how sad and broken she was, she pulled herself together and stepped away from him. The rain was getting stronger and the last thing Juvia wanted was for their friends to suspect it was her doing. So she attempted to calm herself down and soon it diminished.

"I can't. You know I can't. And besides, he doesn't deserve to be burdened with my problems." The iron dragon slayer had to hold himself from screaming at her for being such an idiot.

"I won't argue with you, rain woman. Not in the mood for being drowned tonight. "He said and she laughed softly before wrapping her arms around him for a tight hug. She kissed him in the cheek and he frowned at her.

"I'll go back to the party now."She said after taking a deep breath and she left, leaving a stunned dragon slayer behind. Gajeel shook his head while he watched her walk.

"This woman will be the death of me one day."He muttered before he followed her back to the party.

* * *

"Where is the beautiful Juvia?"Gray groaned for the millionth time that night. It seemed like luck wasn't on his side, just because Juvia had given him some space, freaking Lyon just had to show up and start bothering him. Gray had already escaped to the corner of the room, hidden behind Laxus's huge body as the blonde man sat on the table in front of him.

Lyon didn't take the hint that he didn't want to talk to anyone and went straight towards Gray's table after he quickly greeted the other members of Fairy Tail. Gray wondered what the older ice mage was even doing there instead of staying at Lamia's Scale place, but he was sure it was just his rotten luck.

"I already told you, I don't know!"He yelled in frustration and Lyon was taken aback.

"Easy there Gray, it was just a question."The older man put his hands up in surrender and Gray was even more annoyed.

"Why are you still here? Can't you see that I'm busy?"Gray told him and Lyon raised his eyebrows, it was clear that Gray wasn't busy at all.

"Busy, hm? Seems to me like you're avoiding everyone. Is this because of what happened yesterday?"Gray remained silent, undesiring to talk about it. He expected Lyon to push the subject, but suddenly the silver haired man smiled brightly and looked over Gray's shoulder. "Juvia, there you are!"He excitedly yelled and Gray groaned before laying his head on the table. Why couldn't he ever have some peace?

"Oh, hello, Lyon." Juvia greeted, her voice hoarse. Gray could hear footsteps signaling that she was walking towards their table. Great! There was no way he would be able to get away from there in time.

"Are you alright?"He heard Lyon concernedly ask her.

"I'm perfectly fine, just a bit tired."Juvia replied and Gray missed the smile on her face, a fake one as he would have easily recognized.

"Good! This night is so beautiful and lively. Would you like to take a walk?"Lyon asked her and Gray felt anger boil inside him. How dare he invite Juvia for a walk when she clearly wasn't interested in doing anything with Lyon. He didn't even know why he cared so much about what these two did or didn't do together, but he knew that he wasn't jealous. He had no reason to be. He didn't know why he felt his stomach drop when Juvia accepted Lyon's request.

"That sounds lovely."Another smile, this time a real one. Juvia wouldn't have accepted it, but she knew that there was no use in moping around. Lyon was good company, despite her not being interested in him, and taking a walk seemed like a good way of distracting her mind from the memories that threatened to resurface.

"Wonderful. Shall we go then? I would love to show you to the palace gardens, we managed to get permission to be there thanks to Jura and his connections."Lyon was talking excitedly and Gray wanted to punch him more than anything.

"Oh, I've been wanting to see them, I've heard that they are truly breathtaking."Juvia replied and she moved to take Lyon's arms when she noticed that Gray was lying against the table. "Gray? Are you alright?"He lifted his head to look at her.

"I'm fine."She raised her eyebrows at him and he knew that she could see right through his act. They always knew when the other was lying, after all.

"Are you sure? You look..."She trailed off and another voice butted in.

"Like crap. Perhaps you should go back to the inn, stripper, before you pass out."It was Gajeel, who Gray hadn't even notice was there. He had been quietly watching the exchange and jumped at the opportunity to jab at Gray.

"Maybe you should go back to your inn before I kick your ass."Gray snapped, fed up. Gajeel glared at him and looked as if he would punch Gray in the face.

"That's enough."Juvia said firmly and the iron dragon slayer glared once again at the ice mage before walking away, mumbling something about 'finding the shrimp'. Gray was thankful for Juvia's intervention, not really in the mood to get his ass kicked as he unfortunately knew would happen if he picked a fight with Gajeel.

"So childish."Lyon rolled his eyes and looked bemused."Shall we get going then, beautiful?"He extended a hand towards Juvia and offered her a charming smile.

"Like hell she's going anywhere with you!"Gray yelled as Juvia extended her hands to take Lyon's. She stared at him in confusion and he suddenly felt self conscious.

"Is something wrong?"She questioned rather harshly, not in the mood for dealing with Gray's strange attitude when Lyon wanted her company. She knew he wasn't jealous, so why did he have to act like she couldn't do anything with the white haired man? It bothered her.

"No, I just...hmm..."Gray stumbled upon his words as he tried to come up with a good excuse. Lyon sighed deeply before he retracted his hand.

"That's it! I've had enough of your attitude, Gray." Gray would have expected him to yell some more, but instead the silver haired man grabbed his arm and started dragging him towards the stairs.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing?" He protested, barely aware that they were causing a scene and everyone was staring at them. Lucy and Natsu cast him sympathetic smiles while Cana laughed like this was the funniest joke ever.

"It's about time we get some clear cut answers." Lyon said once they had climbed down the stairs that led outside of the bar. He finally let Gray go as they reached a fountain that was close to it. While the younger ice mage massaged his arm, Juvia showed up from behind them and closed the door to the bar softly. Gray eyed her warily and he quickly took notice of the sadness hidden behind her tiredness. He wondered why she appeared so down and as he thought about it, she had been that way the entire day. Was it because of what happened the day before?

He also took notice of how her hands picked at the silver necklace she always wore. He knew that there were two pictures inside it, he had once seen her open the necklace and managed to take a peek at the couple on the right one. He was sure it were her parents, judging by the blue hair of the woman and azure, huge eyes of the man with brown hair.

Gray didn't know much about them, since Juvia never talked about it and he never asked, understanding her undesire to discuss her past. He couldn't deny that he was intrigued, though, and would love to learn more about who she was before Fairy Tail. Little did they know, their childhoods hadn't been all that different and there was a connection between them that went deeper than they could have ever imagined.

* * *

_Later that night..._

After a long time of Gray and Lyon arguing and eventually getting into a fight, while Juvia quietly watched them, Gray found himself at the same balcony where Juvia and Gajeel had previously been. He was surprised to find a thoughtful looking Erza, with her elbows resting on the balcony while she stared into the night sky. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice him coming, until he said her name.

"Hey, Erza. What are you doing here so late?"He questioned, knowing Erza would have preferred to sleep earlier since they were in the middle of the games. For her to be up so late at night, something must be troubling her.

"Hello Gray."There was a certain sadness to her tone and Gray wondered if he should ask her what was going on. As if reading his mind, she quickly added. "I'm perfectly fine, no need to worry."

"Ok."He said simply, understanding that was all he would get from her.

"So, what brings you out here all alone?"She asked after a few seconds, a knowing look in her eyes.

"After dealing with Juvia and Lyon's nonsense all night, I figured I could use some fresh air to clear my head."He answered and she raised her eyebrows.

"You think it's nonsense, huh?"She asked him and Gray avoided her eyes. He knew it wasn't nonsense, he understood exactly what was going on with Juvia and Lyon, but he didn't want to be forced to make a decision when he wasn't sure which it would be. That's why that night had resulted in no answers for the three of them.

"You must know how she feels about you, it's not like she hides it."Erza continued and Gray sighed, he so didn't want to discuss it now.

"I'm not that stupid, only Natsu would fail to see it."He replied and both laughed at the thought of their oblivious pink haired friend. Unknown to them, he wasn't as oblivious as they assumed.

"So why aren't you doing something about it? Why haven't you given her a straight answer?"Erza asked him and he shrugged.

"Don't know. I guess I haven't decided what to do yet."She gave him a gentle smile before her face turned serious.

"You should figure it out, Gray, before it's too late"She warned him and Gray stared at her, confused.

"Too late?"He asked and Erza's tone was even more firm and serious with her next words.

"Yes. If you keep avoiding your feelings, you'll end up losing her."He avoided her gaze once again and she placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Don't avoid me, Gray. I'm just trying to help."

"Seems like you're just pressuring me like everyone else."He remarked dryly and Erza shook her head.

"No, I'm just warning you. You're not the only one who has feelings for her and from what I've seen, Juvia seems to be warming up to Lyon as well. If you don't give her a straight answer soon, she might decide that it's not worth it going after you when he's made it clear that he's interested."

Hearing it was hard, but Gray knew that she was telling the truth. The thought of Juvia doing anything with Lyon made him feel pain unlike anything he had ever experienced, but he wasn't sure if it was because he was in love with her. He had never been in love before, so he didn't have much experience with it. And the last thing he would want to do is bringing Juvia's hopes up only to let her down. But he couldn't lose her to Lyon either. So what should he do?  
"How will I know?"He finally asked Erza and she looked at him in confusion, so he clarified."If I do love her, how will I know?"A smile graced Erza's face and she put both hands on his shoulders and looked at him intensely.

"Trust me, you will know."Was her simply reply and it was Gray's turn to raise his eyebrows at her. The small blush on her cheeks told him everything he needed to know and Gray smiled at the knowledge that he wasn't the only one at a crossroad.

"I guess we should both figure out our feelings before it's too late."He told her and it was Erza's turn to avoid his eyes.

"Yes. I guess we should."She said and the silence returned, this time none of them tried to break it. Later that night, when they lay awake in their beds, both wondered what they should do regarding their conflicted hearts and if there would ever be a clear cut answer.

_Meanwhile, far away..._

"Such a sad day." A man said as he stared at the open book flying in front of him. An image of the water mage was seen as he watcher her intently. The smile ever present on his face faded as she once again touched the necklace she had carried for so long. He knew exactly which pictures were inside it and he even knew the people in it. After all, how could he not know the strongest water mage there ever was? Well, with the exception of the one he now watched.

"The poor girl's suffering even after all these years. Don't humans understand it's no use dwelling on the past?" He said as he shook his head before standing up and walking towards the edge of the cliff where he was situated.

"Are you sure that she'll be ready, master?" A woman asked as she came up behind him. She had long black hair that matched her cold, dark eyes and contrasted with the golden horns on her head. She wore a beige kimono that made her look even paler and there was a strange symbol in her forehead.

"Why do you ask?"The man asked her, dark eyes intrigued. He ruffled his black hair as an attempt to get it away from his face.

"She doesn't seem strong enough and her alliance to Fairy Tail should make things difficult for us." The woman replied worriedly and the man laughed bitterly.

"I am not concerned at all about Fairy Tail, once the time comes, they will be eliminated easily."He told her firmly and she knew there was no use in arguing with him. After all, he was her master, her creator. She owned everything to him so all she could do was obey his orders.

"Very well then. What shall I do now?"She asked him and he didn't look at her as he replied.

"There's nothing left to do but wait. Until the time is right, we have no choice but to remain in the shadows, watching as their stories unfold." He told her simply and she sighed before sitting down and making herself comfortable.

"When will you free the others?"She inquired after a few minutes of silence and he looked at her, dark eyes suddenly turned red and threatening.

"When I decide it's time. Do not push me on this matter, Seilah!"He said her name firmly and she recoiled in fear.

"I was just wondering. I'll take my leave now, I'd like to take a closer look at the girl, if you'll allow it."He stared at her in surprise, eyes back to their black color.

"That's actually a great idea. Since I cannot approach her without revealing my presence, you should go." She nodded in agreement before casting him a small smile."Thank you, lord Zeref. I'll be back soon."Soon she disappeared and he was once again alone. His attention went back to the book that showed Juvia Lockser sitting on a table with her usual friends. Her expression was blank, as if she had no feelings or emotions, but no one seemed to notice her. "So beautiful and so powerful. I can't wait to see just how strong she really is."Zeref muttered to himself as a small smile crossed his face.

**So, that's it. What did you think? Did you enjoy the Gajuvia moment and the extension of GrayXErza talk? What about GrayXJuviaXLyon scenes? I'll be exploring this love triangle a lot in the first few chapters and I'll try to come up with a good solution.**

**What are your thoughts about the Zeref scenes? Do you have any ideas to his connection to Juvia?**

**If it wasn't clear, July 2nd marks the day Juvia's mother died. There will be more about this remarkable woman in the future, she's kinda important.**

**Next chapter will cover the Naval Battle event, one of my fav eps of this arc. I'll give you a huge spoiler: the title will be Realization. Think we can make it to 10 hits by Sunday so I can post chapter 2?**

**IS IT TOO LONG??**


	2. Realization

 

**Hello people. I am deeply sorry for the lateness with this chapter. This past week has been crammed with school work and writing, but I completely forgot to post the new chapter here. I promise chapter 3 won't take so long.**

**I would like if you guys told me what are your favorite characters/couples besides Gray and Juvia, so that I can know who I should include more. I've already planned developments for NaLu, GaLe and Jerza, but if you have any minor couple your like, let me know and I'll try to fit them into the story.**

* * *

 

Let Her Go-Passenger

You only need the light when it's burning low

Only miss the sun when it starts to snow

Only know you love her when you let her go

And you let her go

* * *

**Now let's get on with the** **chapter! Good luck cause this is a big one!**

2 days after the conversation with Erza, Gray was still considering his feelings towards Juvia and what he would do about their relationship. The blue haired woman had been avoiding him as he noticed and spending more time with Gajeel than ever. He knew those two were close, but still, Gray suspected something might be wrong. When he asked her about it, though, she told him that everything was alright. He didn't believe her, but Gray didn't want to pressure her too much, like everyone had been pressuring him.

Besides Erza, Lucy had also noticed the change in Juvia's interactions with him for the past two days and she questioned him about their relationship. Even after Gray reassured her that everything was fine, she told him to make things clear with her and Gray ignored her. Why did everyone want him to make things clear all of sudden?

He groaned in frustration as he heard steps from behind him. It was now time for the 4th day of the games to begin and Gray was near Fairy Tail Team A's spot, trying to avoid anyone else who might want to talk to him about Juvia.

"You know, you really should talk to her." A voice came from behind him and Gray was about to tell them to go away when he noticed it was Natsu. He was filled with confusion for the pink haired men couldn't possibly know about what was going on between them, he was too oblivious.

"Talk to who?"He questioned while looking away from Natsu and back to the arena. He could see a large bubble made of water in the middle and knew that the first challenge would be starting soon.

"Juvia, of course!"Natsu said matter off factly and Gray sighed.

"Even you?"He muttered, but the dragon slayer heard him clearly.

"Look, I don't know exactly what's going on between you two, but I can see that you care about her, Gray."Natsu said firmly and Gray remained silent. "I overheard your conversation with Erza the other night." The pink haired dragon slayer blurted out suddenly and Gray stared at him with wide eyes.

"What!? You were spying on us?" The ice mage accused and Natsu was quick to explain.

"I wasn't, but I can't control my excellent hearing. I was taking Lucy back to the inn when I heard you."Gray sighed, unsure what to say.

"How much did you hear?"He questioned and Natsu stared at him firmly.

"Enough to confirm my theory that you're an idiot."Gray glared at him. "Why else would you brush off your feelings for her as if they didn't exist?"The dragon slayer added and the ice mage looked away.

"You don't have any moral to speak here. You're clearly head over heels for Lucy and yet you don't act on it."Gray thought he had got him good there, but Natsu's only response was a small blush.

"That's not the point. You need to tell her that you love her before it's too late."Gray groaned, tired of hearing this words, tired of the pressure everyone seemed to be putting on him. Why did they all assume that it would be too late, anyways? This was Juvia, she hadn't given up on him even after he had ignored her for so long, so there was no reason to worry.

"Just shut up Natsu!"He said loudly and the dragon slayer raised an eyebrow. A fight would surely have started soon if Erza hadn't showed up a few seconds later.

"There you two are. Come on, the competition has already started!"She told them and both men followed her back to the arena as they settled in their usual place.

* * *

They could see that the water bubble was now filled with the competitors and Gray's heart jumped when he spotted Juvia in her purple bikini. It wasn't often he got to see her showing more skin, since she always covered herself, and he wondered why she insisted on wearing such heavy clothing when she had no reason to hide anything. After all, he was a man so he could tell that she had a nice body beneath those coats and long skirts.

"Look, did Juvia just take on Aquarius?"Natsu's voice broke him out of his thoughts about Juvia's body and Gray blushed. His gaze followed Natsu's and he was impressed to see Juvia holding her own against the water spirit.

"It's been a while, hasn't it, Aquarius?"Juvia was telling the spirit while they held each other off and Gray wondered when did these two know each other.

"Don't think that I'll hold back just because we're acquaintances." Aquarius replied and Gray saw Lucy cast a confused look her way. Looks like not even she knew what was going on between the water mage and the spirit.

"I wouldn't dream of it"Juvia replied smugly before she put even more power into her water cyclone.

"What? We're even?""Aquarius said, startled and Juvia's expression changed from proud to determined.

"My darling is watching, so I wouldn't live with myself if I failed."She dramatically said and many people around the audience started chatting and wondering who she was talking about. Gray could see a few members of Fairy Tail smirk his way. He avoided their looks as a small blush appeared on his face.

"Looks like the fight isn't the only thing Juvia has in mind."Erza's voice made Gray look at her. He said nothing, but his heart beat faster at the thought that Juvia was trying to impress him. He couldn't deny that he was enjoying the view.

"This is taking way too long. I gotta get out of here."The water spirit said in frustration and when Lucy asked her what could be more important than helping her, Aquarius simply smirked before replying."My man." And then she was gone.

"Again!?"Lucy yelled in frustration while the organizers commented on how strange it was that Lucy's spirit would abandon her in the middle of the fight only to see her partner. Juvia didn't give Lucy time to rest as she once again sent her water cyclone the blonde's way. Gray wondered why she was fighting so much harder than usually, but her previous words came to mind. Yep, she was definitely aiming to impress him. And it was working.

Soon Lucy conjured up Aries and Virgo and they were able to hold Juvia off for a while. The fight was getting more intense as the other competitors, except for Sabertooth's Minerva, were getting on the action. Chelia fought against Jenny and Leslie while Juvia and Lucy continued their mostly one-sided fight.

"It's time I stop pulling my punches. I'll take you all at once."Juvia said after a few minutes and everyone in the audience looked at her curiously and expectantly. She smirked and Gray felt pride swell inside him. This was the Juvia that had amazed him from the first time he met her, the confident and strong woman who could hold her own even against one of Grimoire Heart's Seven Kin. She was in full battle mode.

"Now that's pretentious."Lucy commented and Juvia's smile didn't falter.

"Do you think so? Well, I'm sorry, Lucy, but only one of us can win this fight and there's no way I'm not letting you outdo me in front of Gray."She replied to the blonde's statement and Gray once again avoided the many looks sent his way. He also tried to ignore the statement coming from the main organizer.

"Looks like love is in the air today. But will Juvia be able to impress her boyfriend?"The ice mage wanted nothing more than to yell at him to shut up and that he wasn't Juvia's boyfriend. He actually surprised himself with how calm he was, usually he would have lost his cool after so many insinuations coming from the audience and the organizers.

"It's time to I use my own trump card."Juvia's voice brought his attention back to her. Many of the girls in the bubble were now looking in her direction, Chelia and Leslie were in defense mode while Minerva looked amused and Jenny looked unsure. "I was able to perfect my most powerful spell, which was unleashed by my second origin and strengthened with my love."Gray groaned at her insistence to drag him into it. Tough he would never admit it, a part of him enjoyed hearing her love confessions. She was just so open and forward, something he admired and wished he could be as well. But he couldn't, not when it had only led to loss and heartbreak.

He had known about Juvia's feelings for him, that had been clear for a while now, but now he understood just how deep they went. After all, for her to announce it in front of so many people, she must really love him. And Gray didn't know what to do about that. Even though two days had passed since his conversation with Erza, he was just as confused and conflicted.

He didn't know if he felt the same towards Juvia and the last thing he wanted was to get her hopes up only to let her down. Besides, he had promised himself to stay away from this kind of feelings after considering the fact that everyone he had ever loved had been taken away. This strategy had worked for over 10 years, but once Juvia entered his life, he started wondering if it was worth it anymore.

"Wings of love!"Juvia screamed and he was impressed with her spell, it managed to kick out three competitors, leaving only Juvia, Lucy and Minerva in the bubble.

"Amazing! Juvia's managed to take out three opponents at once. If she keeps going like this, she's sure to become the queen of the Naval Battle."The organizer screamed and many people cheered. It was in that moment that Gray realized something wasn't right, because Juvia wasn't moving anymore. She was standing in the left corner of the bubble, eyes wide. He was unaware that the same strange presence she had been sensing for the past two days was felt just as she used her second origin and she was paralyzed by fear. Juvia was able to recover quickly from her stupor and her face returned to normal, but by then it was already too late.

"What?"She muttered when she felt someone pushing her and she looked at a smirking Minerva. Gray felt bad for her, she had been doing so well.

"Juvia!"Lucy screamed in surprise and worry as the blue haired woman fell on the ground. Juvia barely moved as she let out a tiny moan of pain from the fall. Neither Juvia not Gray heard the whisper coming from the cause of her distraction. The woman with long dark hair, golden horns and a beige kimono hid herself amongst the spectators as she watched Juvia fight with mild interest.

"So she can activate her second origin. Interesting."Seilah muttered as a smile came to her face. Maybe this girl might be the right choice after all. "I must tell Zeref. He'll surely be pleased."She added before taking one last look at the fallen water mage and disappearing.

"After a valiantly fought battle, Juvia scored third place."The organizer said and Gray's attention was brought once again to the girl in question as he had a bad feeling. Something was definitely wrong.

"No, something's wrong."Seems like Gray wasn't the only one who thought so and he turned his head towards where Fairy Tail Team B was gathered. The one who spoke was Gajeel, replying to Cana's comment that Juvia had been clumsy.

"Do you think so, Gajeel?"Mirajane had asked the iron dragon slayer and his face was more serious than Gray had ever seen.

"I am sure of it. Juvia wouldn't have gotten distracted just like that."Gajeel replied and Gray wondered if he knew what had distracted Juvia during the fight. He made a mental note to himself to ask Gajeel about it later.

"Juvia did great, but now it's all up to Lucy."The ice mage stared at his best friend. Natsu smiled and spoke with confidence. "I'm sure she can take care of that Sabertooth girl."Gray found himself smiling as well.

"Of course. Lucy's tough too."He replied, though his mind remained on Juvia. He watched as she sat up from the floor with Chelia's help and shook her head as the pink haired girl asked her something, a concerned look on her face. She was smiling towards the cameras, but Gray saw right through it. The unsettling feeling in his stomach made him decide to talk to her after the battle was over, even if he hadn't yet decided what to do about his feelings, he was still her friend and he cared about her. If something was bothering her, he needed to know what it was.

"Lucy, no!"Natsu screamed and Gray's attention went towards the celestial mage who was currently fighting against Sabertooth's chosen. He easily noticed that Lucy's keys were gone from their usual spot around her waist and she was defenceless against Minerva, who ket throwing magic attacks Lucy's way.

"I'll keep fighting just like my friends have fought during the tournament. I won't give up now because that would be worse than betrayal."Lucy told her opponent and, though she was clearly in pain, her words came out clearly. She stared at Minerva with determination and the black haired woman just smirked at her before sending more of her magic the blonde's way.

"You should have never crossed Fairy Tail, we're not the kind to go down. That's why soon my guild will be number one again."Lucy continued just as fiercely and many FT members saw Natsu give her a soft smile and there was adoration in his eyes. Yep, he was totally in love with Lucy. Knowing he wasn't the only one who didn't act on possible feelings made Gray feel slightly better.

"That's it, Lucy! Hold on for just a bit more."Erza pleaded quietly and he noticed that she was looking towards the timer that had been set after the battle began. It had been almost 4 minutes since the beginning of it, so only a bit more and Lucy would be able to score second place.

"Go, Lucy!"Natsu cheered and Lucy smiled despite being hit with another wave of heat. She was so close, she couldn't give up now.

All of sudden, Minerva stopped her relentless attacks and everyone stared at the duo in surprise. "Looks like Minerva has stopped attacking. They're just floating."The main organizer said confusingly. "And the five minutes are up. Now it's just a battle for the top spot." He added after a few seconds. Everyone then stared in horror as Minerva began attacking with full force.

"You still haven't learned your place, have you?"She told Lucy, her tone venomous. The blonde couldn't keep her screams of pain as she received blow after blow."We are Sabertooth, the mightiest guild beneath the heavens. You belong on the ground."An evil smirk came to Minerva's face and that angered Natsu as he tried to run towards Lucy, being held by Erza.

"Stop it!"He screamed, anger and pain clear on his tone. Many spectators screamed their agreement. No one wanted to keep watching the celestial wizard being tortured mercilessly by Minerva.

"We've got to do something."Gray told Erza and the red haired woman bit her lip, unsure which course of action they should take.

"Now this is just sick."Cana commented and the members of Team B nodded in agreement.

"All she's doing is torturing her."Gajeel pointed out angrily before his gaze moved towards the water mage. "Something's definitely wrong."He muttered and seeing his worried face, Gray followed his line of view. His throat constricted and his stomach churned when he took a good look at Juvia. She was still sitting, apparently she hadn't moved at all since Chelia had helped her. Her big blue eyes stared at Lucy in shock, but there was also pain in her face. Her mouth was currently open as if she was silently screaming and her face was even paler than usual. She was clearly not okay and with each blow that Lucy received, she looked closer to losing it completely.

"I have to go to her."Gray didn't realize that he had said it out loud until Erza spoke up.

"You can go once the battle is over, Gray. I can see Juvia's clearly affected by this horrible display of violence, but there's nothing we can do about it now."She told him and he noticed how her teeth were clenched and she looked like she wanted to punch someone.

"Why are they allowing this to happen?" He muttered under his breath, frustrated that he could do nothing to help Juvia or Lucy. Erza's only response was a shrug as her attention moved towards Natsu, who had his hands balled into fists as he stared in anger at the scene in front of them. He looked ready for a fight and Gray understood the feeling. That was when the question that had been plaguing his mind for two days came back. Could it be that he too had fallen in love?

* * *

For the next few minutes, they could do nothing but watch as Lucy got kicked and punched by Minerva and to Gray's horror, with each blow an image would cross his mind. In his imagination, it wasn't Lucy the one getting beaten, but Juvia. He knew that she was safe, but couldn't stop his heart from constricting in fear. He tried to shake off these thoughts, to no avail. Each time Lucy screamed in pain he would see Juvia's face instead and it was awful. He felt like someone was ripping him apart with each hopeless sound and he was starting to think that he was losing it.

"Gray?" Erza asked in concern as she put a comforting hand on his shoulder. He didn't move. His jaw was clenched and he was breathing heavily as if he had run a marathon. "It's alright, Lucy will be ok." The red head told him soothingly, but it was no use. He drew in another shaky breath.

"She's getting hurt and there's nothing that I can do." He hated himself for how weak he sounded. What the hell was wrong with him?

"I know, I know."Erza tried to calm him down and even Natsu tore his attention away from Lucy to look at his friend in concern.

"Please make it stop."He pleaded once he saw Juvia getting punched so hard she was thrown back. He looked away from the scene and towards Erza, desperation clear in his face. "I can't...I should be protecting her."Erza gave him a pitiful look while Natsu looked confused by Gray's reaction. It's not as if he didn't care for Lucy, but for him to be so affected by what happened to her was strange.

"What's wrong with him?"The pink haired man asked and Erza looked unsurely at him.

"We have to save Juvia or else she's going to get killed by that...that monster!" Gray told them determinately and Erza's eyes widened.

"Wait, Juvia?"She asked and Gray's attention went towards the bubble where he saw Juvia once again being punched. Why couldn't it stop?

"She's in danger and we're just standing here. Why aren't you doing anything?"He yelled at his friends and Gajeel, Cana and Mirajane looked at him in concern.

"Gray, Juvia's not in danger, she's outside the bubble."Erza told him after taking a deep breath and he followed her line of view. His breath got caught in his throat when he saw her and he was immensely confused. Her skin was just as flawless as ever, no sign of injuries. She was still sitting on the ground, holding her knees to her chest while she stared at the bubble right in front of her, unmoving. Gray frowned because he had seen her getting punched and kicked only a few seconds before and all of sudden she was outside the bubble. What the hell was going on?

"This doesn't make sense. She was getting beaten just a few minutes ago."He whispered and Erza's face grew even more concerned. A look of understanding crossed through her face and she was about to say something, but was interrupted.

"And the match is over. Sabertooth takes the goal with a huge amount of brute force. Doesn't look like Lucy is moving. Can someone get the paramedics on the way?" The organizer said and many people sighed in relief that it was finally over.

"Lucy!"Natsu yelled and he was running before anyone could say anything. "Come on, Gray."Erza grabbed his arm and started following the pink haired man. After a few seconds Gray finally overcame the shock of seeing Juvia unharmed and he started running as well, his mind now focusing on the unmoving Lucy. He was still a bit dazed and confused about what had happened, but he could think about that later. Right now Lucy needed him and he had to focus on helping her. He reached the bubble a few seconds after Natsu and Erza, just in time to catch Lucy as she was thrown on the ground by Minerva.

The pink haired dragon slayer held her close to his chest and Gray heard him whispering repeatedly "You're going to be okay." Well, if there was any lingering doubt whether he loved Lucy, it was gone now. The way Natsu reacted to seeing her got hurt, the way he was acting now that she was safe... Gray realized then that he had been acting the same way about Juvia, but he quickly pushed these thoughts away. Had to focus on getting Lucy help now.

While Gray and Natsu were catching Lucy, Juvia finally broke out of her trance and she looked around in confusion before spotting the celestial wizard and her eyes widened. She had missed most of the battle, her mind being too focused on the overwhelming feeling of fear that came with the strange presence. She had dwelled on it for only a few minutes because as soon as Minerva began torturing Lucy, memories of the past invaded her mind and she was paralyzed as they kept coming. Horrible things she had forgotten, dangerous people she didn't know, but who had haunted her nightmares for so long.

She had tried her best not to scream and risk drawing attention, the last thing she wanted was to worry her friends even more than they already were because of Lucy. So she kept quiet while the battle was happening, trying her best to avoid it as the memories overwhelmed her. It was Natsu and Gray's synchronized scream for Lucy that finally freed her from her nightmare. Guilt settled on her stomach upon spotting Lucy and realizing just how injured her friend was.

Juvia was sure her friends were angry at her, she had been close to Lucy, she could have helped her. She couldn't tell them the real reason why she had been distracted, so she would just have to take whatever punishment they would give her. Her stomach dropped when she thought of Gray being mad at her, but she tried to push it away. She couldn't think about her beloved now, Lucy needed her.

"Lucy."She whispered before she attempted to stand up so she could run the blonde's way. She was still unstable from the flashbacks she desperately needed to talk to Gajeel about, so she almost fell upon trying to get up. Thankfully, she felt strong arms holding her into place. Looking behind her, she spotted familiar dark green eyes and white hair. "Lyon?"

"Don't worry, I won't let you fall."His tone was soothing and Juvia was thankful he was there, but why was he there?"The battle is over, so we're allowed to enter the arena. I was worried about you."He added as if reading her mind.

"I need to...Lucy..."Juvia stumbled upon her words, too many feelings overwhelming her at that moment.

"She'll be fine, she's being taken care of."Lyon pointed towards where Natsu was holding Lucy tightly while Wendy and Chelia worked their magic. Gray was kneeling nearby and Juvia quickly realized that something wasn't right with the ice mage. Even from afar she could tell that his hands were shaking as he had placed the right one in Natsu's shoulder in a comforting manner and he was way too pale.

"Something's wrong."She whispered and Lyon looked at Gray also. The black haired man seemed to have caught their gaze and he stared back at the duo. There was pain and anger in his eyes and Juvia's heart hurt.

"He looks fine to me."Lyon commented after tearing his eyes away from Gray and looking at her. Juvia firmly shook her head as Gray avoided her worried gaze, his eyes settling back on Lucy. The water mage was unaware just how much it hurt him to see her being held by Lyon or how much he desired to run towards her. He couldn't at the moment, though.

"No, he doesn't. Can you help me get to him?" Juvia replied and she stumbled when trying to take a step forward.

"Perhaps you should eat something first, I think that would help. I can take you to the restaurant close to the arena."Lyon suggested and though Juvia wanted nothing more than to run towards her beloved and hug him, she knew that she needed to think of herself right now. By the way her legs were wobbly and she felt so weak, she feared she would pass out soon.

"Alright. Thank you for helping me."She cast Lyon a small smile that he returned and they slowly left the arena, his arm around her keeping her up. Upon passing Lucy, Erza, Natsu and Gray, she wished her blonde friend her best wishes and explained to the others that she would get something to eat and later she would meet them at the infirmary. Erza and Natsu nodded while Gray avoided looking at her, she could see his jaw was clenched and his free hand was balled into a fist.

Lyon led her to the restaurant and as they got more distant from the arena, she found herself able to breathe again and feeling a lot better. By the time they reached their location, she no longer needed Lyon's support, though he kept an arm on her back just in case. They sat down at their table and she ordered a tea and some snacks while he asked for smoothie. Little did she know, the simple choice of having a meal with someone she considered a friend would soon lead to disaster and heartbreak.

* * *

"We need to talk."Erza whispered to Gray after Lucy was handled to Porlyusica and most Fairy Tail members were gathered in the waiting room of the infirmary. The black haired man had been tense ever since Lyon and Juvia had left the arena together and she knew that he was bothered by it.

"Outside."Gray replied while looking towards Natsu and Gajeel, who were close to them. The latter looked worried as he kept staring at the door, probably hoping that Juvia would return soon. Gray found himself staring at it as well and he sighed. If only he had reached her before Lyon did.

He followed Erza through the infirmary and outside, soon they found a secure corner of the street far enough that the dragon slayers wouldn't be able to hear them. "What happened back there, Gray?"Erza asked him after a few seconds.

"I don't know. I'm starting to think I might be losing it."He chuckled bitterly, but his face turned serious upon seeing her look."Look, I don't know why, but instead of Lucy all I could see was Juvia."He paused as the memory of it came to mind.

"I could see just how much pain you felt seeing her get hurt."Erza said simply and he was confused by her reaction. He had assumed that she would start formulating theories about what happened.

"Of course it pained me, she's my friend."His statement earned him a shake of the head as a bittersweet smile came to Erza's face.

"Men. Why are they so stupid sometimes?"She muttered in frustration before she looked at him firmly. "Gray, if your reaction today hasn't showed you the truth, then I don't know what will."There were too many thoughts swirling in his mind for him to actually focus on what they were discussing.

"What are you talking about?"He asked in confusion and when Erza laughed instead of responding, anger overtook him."What?" He all but yelled.

"Do you honestly have no idea what I mean?"She questioned and he shook his head. If he was his normal self he would have quickly caught up, but he had just spent minutes watching someone he cared about being tortured. He was anything but normal.

"Do you remember our previous conversation?" Erza asked after watching him for a few seconds.

"Pretty hard to forget."Gray replied to her question.

"You said that you hadn't decided what to do yet."Gray nodded and Erza sighed. "It seems to me that the decision should be quite obvious now."

"Erza, what are you..."She interrupted him.

"You were broken, Gray, at the mere thought of her getting hurt. You were so worried about her that your mind even fabricated images due to your fear of losing her. Can't you see what this means?" He stared at her, eyes wide as it finally clicked. His reaction to seeing Juvia getting hurt, the way his stomach had clenched every time she even said hi to Lyon, the way he had been noticing all kind of things about her he wouldn't have if he didn't pay attention. But could it be true? Had he actually fallen for her?

"I...Do you really think that... "Erza interrupted his question, a smile spreading across her face.

"You love her. Even if it's not as strong as Juvia's love for you, you can't deny your feelings for her any longer. You can't keep lying to yourself, Gray."She gave him a pointed look and Gray had to sit down because of the emotions overwhelming him. He loved her. There was the answer he had been looking for. It was undeniable. Unchangeable. Impossible. And yet, he could feel it now, so clearly. He loved Juvia Lockser, maybe even too much. And that terrified him, because surely fate would find a twisted way to ruin it.

"Shit!"He cursed, earning himself a smack on the head."What the hell do I do?"He started freaking out as many possibilities ran through his head. Should he tell her or should he wait until the games were over, so they'd be able to focus for now? Would she be happy to learn about his feelings? The memory of her leaving with Lyon made his heart hurt. What if she didn't want to hear it? What if it was too late?

"You have to tell her, Gray. Before it's too late."Erza voiced his thoughts and he nodded, his heart was beating faster by the seconds and he was getting nervous. He had never done anything like it before, so he had no idea how to proceed.

"But how? Am I supposed to just blurt it out? Or do I need to prepare a speech or something? Help me Erza!" He begged her while kneeling and she chuckled.

"Don't worry, I know someone who will be able to help you."She told him with a smirk and he had a bad feeling.

"But I don't want anyone to know about it."Erza shook her head slightly.

"Everyone will know anyway, so there's no reason we should hide it."Upon seeing his unsure look, she sighed. "Alright, we won't tell everyone. Only the person who'll help. Ok?"She gave Gray her best pleading face and he sighed before nodding.

"Alright. But who's this mystery person?"Erza simply smirked before she excused herself. She walked back into the infirmary, catching the attention of the FT members who were awaiting news on Lucy's condition.

"Hey, Erza. Is everything ok?"Natsu asked, he was standing by Lucy's door, looking anxious and worried.

"Perfect."Many people raised their eyebrows at Erza's unusual happy demeanor. "Have you gotten any updates about Lucy?"

"Wendy told us that she'll live, but they're still unsure of how much damage there is."Levy answered, voice shaking. She was sitting on a chair near where Natsu stood, Gajeel by her side with a hand on her shoulder. Erza internally smiled when she noticed Levy's hand was holding his and there was an unusually soft expression on his face.

"That's good. I'm sure she'll be just fine, she's strong."Erza looked pointedly at the anxious dragon slayer, but he remained silent.

"So, is there anything you need?"Mira asked, sensing the reason Erza had come back to the infirmary.

"I need your help, Mira. It's an extra-important and top secret mission."The red head replied and ignored the curious looks sent her way. If Gray didn't want anyone to know what was happening, she would keep her promise.

"Sounds interesting. Can't wait to hear about it!"Mira excitedly said before she took a few steps towards Erza. "Lisanna, can you keep an eye on Elfman?" She turned to her younger sister, who had been sitting by her side.

"Sure, but I think he's in good hands. Evergreen hasn't left his side in hours."The younger girl provided with a smirk and Mira's smile enlarged. The two sisters knew their brother clearly had something going on with the older woman, but both parties insisted on denying it. Well, they weren't doing a good job at hiding it, not with Evergreen's reluctance to leave his side for the past two days.

"Those two are just too cute. I hope they get together soon enough."Mira said before she followed Erza outside. They walked for a while and once they were outside of the dragon slayers' ear shot, Mira spoke.

"So, wanna tell me what this is about?"She was barely containing her curiosity and excitement, it wasn't every day that Ezra asked for her help, so she guessed it must be really important.

"It's the most important challenge we'll be completing during the Games."Erza said dramatically and Mira raised her eyebrows. "I'm calling it Operation Gruvia."

**Thoughts, anyone? Did you enjoy GrayXNatsu friendship and mentions of NaLu? Soon we'll have cute scenes with these two and a big reveal!**

**Did you like my take on the Naval Battle with Gray's reactions to Juvia's words and a better reason for her distraction? I hope you didn't think the scene where he finally realized his feelings came too fast. Keep in mind that Gray falling in love with Juvia was a** **process, it didn't happen just now. He just realized it. And well, Lyon's presence made it crucial to tell her soon or else it might be too late.**

**Did you like my twist on Lucy's torture and Gray seeing Juvia instead? I thought it would be a nice way of showing him his true feelings.**

**Lastly, what do you think is gonna happen in the lunch with Lyon? I'm sure you can already tell how important it will be for the story.**

**Stay tuned for next chapter: Decisions.**

**You should expect love confessions, funny moments and flashbacks.**

**15 more hits and I'll post it tomorrow!**


	3. Decision

**Hello everyone. Here's the next chapter of Connections.**

**I decided to try something new with this story, so in each chapter I'll be posting a song at the beginning. It's meant to represent the chapter and give you an idea what it will be about. I hope you'll like the ones I have chosen so far. Also, check out the first two chapters, I've already added their songs.**

 

 

**Now, I wish you all good luck reading this chapter cause it ain't happy for anybody. It's all about disaster and heartbreak, as I said. There are also some interesting clues to Juvia's past, so pay close attention to the flashbacks.**

* * *

**Evermore-Beauty and the Beast 2017 (Dans Stevens)**

I was the one who had it all  
I was the master of my fate

I never needed anybody in my life  
I learned the truth too late

I'll never shake away the pain  
I close my eyes but she's still there

I let her steal into my melancholy heart

It's more than I can bear

Now I know she'll never leave me  
Even as she runs away

She will still torment me  
Calm me, hurt me  
Move me, come what may

Wasting in my lonely tower

Waiting by an open door

I'll fool myself, she'll walk right in  
And be with me for evermore

* * *

"So, would you mind telling me what happened during the fight?" Lyon questioned after a few minutes of silence passed between them. Juvia didn't answer. Her mind was too focused on the never-ending flashbacks that kept coming to her.

_A dark room, empty if not for the young girl with blue hair in the middle. She was sitting on a chair, her arms and legs were tied up as she stared at the three people on the other side of the glass window in fear. They looked impassive, emotionless. "She's too quiet." One commented, her voice was calm and collected._

_"She's strong, I'll give her that."The man laughed while another woman smirked._

_"Perhaps she needs a little more pain."She suggested and the man smirked while the first woman nodded, barely looking at the girl in the empty room._

_"We should be testing her limits, so feel free to increase your attack."A boring look crossed her face, she could be doing much better things than testing the girl. However, orders were orders and she knew better than to disobey her master._

_"My pleasure."The other woman replied giddily, an evil smirk on her face. She sent her attack the girl's way and soon a scream filled the room. And then another one._

"Juvia?"Lyon asked, concerned, and Juvia finally looked at him. She quickly realized that her hands had a vice grip on the table and she quickly loosened it.

"I'm sorry."The ice mage eyed her carefully, taking quick notice of the paleness of her face, her eyes filled with fear and pain. He knew that look, he had seen it many times while looking in the mirror back when he woke up in the middle of the night, haunted by nightmares of the past.

"What were you thinking about?"He asked, curious. He knew nothing of Juvia's past, but judging by what he had seen, it still haunted her and he could only assume something terrible had happened.

"Nothing."She answered way too quickly and he raised an eyebrow. He sighed.

"Juvia, I know what it's like to remember things you wish you didn't."She looked surprised at how easily he read her.

"How did you..."He spoke before she could finish her question.

"I have some bad experiences that come back to me sometimes, so I know when someone's thinking about this kind of thing." He told her softly and she looked uncertainly at the hand he held out for her before taking it.

"I hate it."She admitted after a few seconds of silence. "Hate how I can't seem to escape it, or move on. It always haunts me."She didn't mention that the memories that plagued her were incomplete, overshadowed by her amnesia.

"Maybe if you talked about it, it would be better."Lyon suggested and she shook her head. The last thing she wanted was to talk about it.

"No, I don't think it would."There was silence once again as another memory plagued her mind, completely different from the first one.

_All she could see was chaos, destruction. Everything seemed to have been turned to ruins and ash. The smell of blood filled her nostrils and she cried out as she tried to move away from the scene and find someplace safe, secure. The rain was falling harder than ever and though she was drenched from head to toe, Juvia relished in the fact that her oldest companion was still with her. At least she hadn't lost everything, she thought bitterly._

_After managing to get out from underneath the ruins that had almost buried her, she sat up and scanned over her injuries. She had been lucky, there were no signs of anything too serious, but she knew the reason for that. Looking behind at the dead bodies half buried, she felt like crying. But there was no time for that, she had to get away from there. So she stood up and started walking with difficulty._

_She barely took a few steps when she saw her. The mysterious woman standing just a few feet away, a serene expression on her face as if she was unaffected by the chaos around her. Juvia could't stop looking at the woman, curiously, and a feeling of safety filled her heart. She wasn't alone anymore._

_"Come, child."The woman extended a hand and the blue haired girl eyed her suspisciously._

_"Who are you?" She asked and the stranger smiled calmly._

_"I'm a friend." She replied simply to the girl's request and Juvia raised her eyebrows. Something told her not to trust this woman, but she didn't have much of a choice._

_"Are you a wizard?" She asked and the woman laughed._

_"I guess you could say that." She looked at the girl, softly, before adding. "Don't worry, I'll take you somewhere safe."Juvia bit her lip as she considered her options. She couldn't leave yet, not until she made sure there were no survivors._

_"But…I should look for…"The woman didn't let her finish._

_"There is no time. We must go now or else we'll follow the same fate."There wasn't a drop of fear in her tone as she pointed towards the bodies scattered around the place, but Juvia didn't think about it. All she wanted was to be as far as possible from there, somewhere safe. So she nodded._

_"Okay."She muttered and the woman smiled before they started walking away from the ruins, the rain still falling around them. It reminded her of her mother, even if Juvia could barely remember her, she remember how she made the rain fall so beautifully._

_She wondered what she would have said about Juvia's decision to leave. She probably wouldn't have been too happy, saying it was wrong to run away. But Juvia didn't care at the moment, all she wanted was to be as far as possible from that place. From the chaos and destruction. That was her biggest regret, leaving with the woman when she knew it wasn't the right choice. Ignoring the unsettling feeling that something terrible would happen if she left. Juvia would never forgive herself for making that decision, which cost her so much._

"Juvia."Lyon's firm voice broke her out of her thoughts. This time she wasn't gripping the table, but his hand. She blushed before looking away from him.

"I'm sorry."She apologized once again and he shook his head.

"You have no reason to apologize."He told her before taking her hand once again and squeezing it. "Are you sure that you don't want to talk about it?"He was worried about her, she could see.

"I'd rather not."Soon their food came and their attention went towards eating for the next few minutes. "Can you do me a favor?"Juvia asked him and he looked at her curiously.

"Of course."He answered immediately.

"Distract me."It sounded almost like a challenge and Lyon smirked. This might be fun.

* * *

"Ok, now you're ready!"Mira excitedly said while admiring her handy work. Gray Fullbuster looked nothing like his usual self. Instead of being half naked, he was currently dressed in a dark blue suit, with a white tie. In his hands was a bouquet of red roses, Juvia's favorite flowers as he had been told by Erza. He looked more handsome than ever, but also absolutely uncomfortable.

"Are you sure about this?"He nervously asked the two ladies who watched him with proud had been preparing him for a good while, teaching him what he should say when he encountered Juvia, what he should wear and all.

"Yeah, he looks absolutely ridiculous."Gajeel said while raising his eyebrows. After Erza had asked Mira for help in their project to turn Gray into boyfriend material, they were interrupted when the dragon slayer appeared out of no where, claiming that he had heard their conversation, unintentionally. He told them that he and Levy were going to have a bite to eat and she confirmed his story. With his insistence, they had no choice but to allow him to take part in their crazy plan.

The iron dragon slayer had surprised them greatly by patting Gray on the back and congratulating him after the black haired man admitted that he had feelings for Juvia. Erza and Mira had questioned his actions, assuming that he'd turn into overprotective mode. Gajeel had admitted that he was getting tired of hearing Juvia's complaints about her unrequited love and he wished for her to be happy and knew Gray would surely make her happy. Of course, he was quick to add that if that didn't occur, the ice mage would be looking for a beating he wouldn't forget. Gray had replied with a promise to do his best to keep her happy and Gajeel had smirked upon seeing the adoration for the water mage in his eyes.

"Shut up, Gajeel. You're not helping!"Levy exclaimed while glaring at him and the other two women were surprised by her attitude towards the dragon slayer and even more so when he just shrugged.

"Sorry. I was just stating the truth."In the few seconds that Erza and Mira stared at him with open mouths, Gray managed to loosen his tie and take it off.

"Huh, that thing was suffocating me."He complained, bringing their attention back to him. "Can I go now?"He asked hopefully and Mira and Erza nodded.

"Yes, go get her! And don't forget the speech"The white haired woman cheered while Gajeel rolled his eyes at her overexcitement and Erza smiled widely.

"You are ready, Gray. Ready to move on to a bright and happy future."She said before she gave him a tight hug and Gray barely managed to save the bouquet out of getting squished by her. "Good luck."She whispered into his ear and Gray couldn't keep the smile off his face.

"Thanks."He whispered back before pulling apart.

"Good luck, stripper."Gajeel told him and he nodded in thanks before turning to the last person who knew his secret. Levy was all smiles, though he could see the worry for her best friend behind them.

"I'm sure everything will work out."Gray didn't know that he needed the reassurance, but as soon as she said it, it felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Thanks, you guys. I appreciate you not telling the others about this since we're not sure if it will work."He said and Mira rolled her eyes.

"Of course it will work. She loves you and you love her. Simple."She said while Erza gave him a firm look.

"Quit stalling, Gray."She commanded and he obeyed her, turning his back on them before leaving with a final wave. He soon found himself running towards the restaurant Lyon had taken Juvia not long ago, heart hammering and palms sweating. He had no idea why he was so nervous, it was clear as day that Juvia was in love with him, so there was no way she would reject his confession. Was there? The image of her and Lyon leaving the arena together, his arms wrapped around her while she let him be so close, returned. Suddenly, Gray had a very bad feeling.

* * *

"What's your favorite food?"Lyon asked, surprising Juvia as she raised an eyebrow. "I'm distracting, just like you asked."He added quickly and she smiled a bit.

"Chocolate."It was his turn to raise an eyebrow.

"Chocolate?"He questioned and she shrugged.

"What about you?"He thought for a moment before answering with a smile.

"Pizza. It's not only delicious, but it's got everything. Protein, carbs and vitamins."She laughed and he thought it was one of the most beautiful sounds he ever heard. "What about colors?"

"Blue."She answered without blinking and he smiled widely.

"Should have seen this one coming. Mine is green."She looked surprised for a second before she smiled as well.

"This is nice. Getting to know each other. I really do feel like we could be friends."She told him and Lyon felt his stomach drop at the last word. He knew that it was stupid to let his hopes up, but he couldn't help it.

"Just friends, huh?"He asked and Juvia's mood changed entirely upon sensing the bitterness in his tone.

"Lyon, look..."She started, but he interrupted her.

"Don't say anything."He pleaded and she stayed quiet. "I know that you don't feel the same way, Juvia, but I can't help but to hope."He admitted and she looked at him sadly.

"I don't want to hurt you, but unfortunately, you don't get to choose who you'll fall in love with."She told him softly and Lyon stared at her, determined.

"That may be true, but it doesn't mean you have to be trapped by that love."He paused to take a deep breath. "I know Gray is the one you always think about, but just because you love him doesn't mean he's the one for you."

"You're just saying that because you love me."She said and to hear her say it as if it was nothing, he was even more hurt. But he held his composure.

"No, I really mean it. I could make you happy too, Juvia."There was pity in her eyes, but also uncertainty. Lyon could see that her defenses were falling and so he kept going. "Gray doesn't appreciate what he has, but I would. I would treat you like the princess you are and do anything I can to ensure you're safe and content."He grabbed her hand once again and was glad when she didn't pull back.

"What you're saying sounds wonderful, but I don't..."He didn't give her a chance to turn him down.

"All I'm asking is that you give me a chance."She looked so unsure, so lost and confused. Lyon felt bad for causing her to be like this, but he was hurting too much to care.

"I don't think it's a good idea."She shook her head, but he placed his free hand on her cheek to stop her. She was nervous by how close he suddenly was, having pulled his chair by her side.

"Juvia... Kiss me."He asked while staring at her intensely and her eyes went wide.

"What?"She squealed as she tried to move away from him, but his hand was firm on her cheek and he forced her to keep looking at him.

"It's the best way to prove if something could ever happen between us. If you feel absolutely nothing, then that means there's no chance whatsoever."Pain crossed his face with those words before he relaxed. "However, if you do feel something, that means we can try. I won't pressure you to start a relationship so soon, but I'll be there for you. I'll help you move on from Gray and I will make you happy. All you have to do is give me a chance."

Juvia took a moment to consider his request. Sure, it was sudden and unexpected, but that was just who Lyon was. He was always surprising her, showing a different side only to her and showering her with affection. She couldn't deny that she enjoyed the attention and wished she could return his feelings for her. But she couldn't, not when there was Gray and he could realize that he loved her at any moment.

She bit her lip as she stared considering the possibility of actually going through with Lyon's suggestion. It was the perfect way to prove that she wasn't attracted to any other man and that Gray was truly the one for her. Besides, it was only a kiss, it wouldn't kill her and Gray would never know. It couldn't be called cheating when they weren't even dating. The pull at her heart when she was reminded of that fact was what made her decide to do it.

If there was a possibility that Gray would never pursue her, at least she might have a second chance at happiness. And Lyon was a great guy, if it turned out that she was attracted to him her life might become so much easier. Of course, she would never forget about Gray, but maybe it was time to move on. After months of seeking, trying, giving him everything she had and yet no positive response, maybe it wasn't meant to be. And well, if it was, she would know once the kiss with Lyon made her feel nothing. It would be just one meaningless kiss. No one would see, no one would know. It would forever remain a secret.

"Okay."She answered at last while staring into Lyon's determined eyes. He looked surprised that she had agreed, but quickly recomposed herself and smiled at her. The hand that had been holding hers moved to her back and he brought her closer to him. She settled her hands unsurely on his shoulders as he leaned in and then he was kissing her. It was warm and soft and Juvia had to admit, he was a good kisser. She closed her eyes and let herself melt into the kiss, trying to assess if it would cause her to feel anything.

Unknown to the couple, just outside the restaurant stood a breathless Gray Fullbuster, clad in the dark blue suit and still holding the bouquet with Juvia's favorite flowers. He had ran all the way there, careful not to drop the flowers and now he stood outside, staring at the scene in disbelief. He couldn't believe it. Juvia was kissing Lyon. This couldn't be real, there was no way. Gray took a few deep breaths to calm himself down, but it was no use. He wanted nothing more than to go inside the restaurant and punch Lyon in the face.

So many emotions overwhelmed him. Pain. Regret. Love. Heartbreak. He never would have thought that he'd be the one to get his heart broken, but it was happening. He could feel it and it hurt like hell. He looked back at the couple that was kissing, unaware that he was watching them. He couldn't see it anymore, so he ran. To where, he didn't know. He just kept running until his legs couldn't carry him anymore and he fell to his knees, a pained groan escaping his mouth. He was unaware that he was being watched by Gajeel and Levy, who had been eating in a restaurant just in front of where Gray fell down. He didn't see them, he didn't see anything. All he could do was feel the pain of losing her and the small voice in his head that kept repeating it.

_You deserve this. It's your fault. You were too late._

* * *

_Meanwhile, far away…_

"Are you sure about this?" Zeref asked Seilah and she nodded.

"I could see it clearly, she sensed my presence." The woman replied calmly and he turned his back on her.

"That's not good. She might tell the others soon. She wouldn't keep quiet anymore if she senses danger." He said while staring at the deep sea in front of them.

"I think they're already aware something's not right. I saw that black haired boy, he's worried about her."The woman provided and Zeref laughed.

"He's always worried, that fool. Why he can't see that he loves her is beyond me."She shivered at his tone before questioning.

"When are you planning on eliminating him, like Keyes suggested?" She questioned and he was lost in thought.

"It's not defined yet. We need more time watching them, seeing what they'll choose."She knew he was referring to Juvia and Gray's complicated relationship and she smiled.

"So what happens if he does realize his feelings and they decide to be together? What shall we do about it?" She curiously asked and Zeref smirked.

"That would make things easier for us."She raised an eyebrow in question and he quickly elaborated. "Lovers tend to be blind and vulnerable. Easy to manipulate."

"I see. We'll be able to take advantage of their feelings." Zeref nodded to her assumption.

"Yes. If they fall in love, we might not need to attack Fairy Tail in order to retrieve her. All we'd have to do is use the boy as bait."

"We could do that even if they're not together. She's already in love."Seilah pointed out and Zeref nodded.

"True, but if the they are together, we'll be able to eliminate both threats at the same time. Easier and simpler."The black haired woman barely began to consider his words when he made the same book from before appear. It always made her shiver when she saw it, the power coming from it was incredible and overwhelming. An image appeared of the girl with blue hair and the white haired man that had accompanied her. Zeref watched their conversation with interest and Seilah could swear his face paled when Juvia mentioned memories that haunted her.

"Master. Is everything alright?" She questioned and the black haired man sighed.

"So she's remembering things? That could pose as a threat." He muttered as if he hadn't heard her.

"How can that be possible? Haven't you erased her memories?"Seilah questioned and Zeref smiled.

"I did, but the human brain can be quite unpredictable and it has an uncanny ability to retain memories."He explained before his eyes flickered back to Juvia as she asked Lyon to distract her. "It wasn't a problem before since she could only see flashes in her nightmares, but it seems like something has triggered more profound memories."

"Do you think she'll remember… **it**?"Seilah questioned, eyes wide and the look on his face did nothing to appease her fears.

"She can't. That could ruin everything and I didn't spend 17 years making plans only to fail."His eyes changed to red as anger overcame him. After a few seconds, he was able to calm himself down. "You'll have to erase her memories again. And alter them too, so she won't get suspicious."

"Of course. When?"The woman asked and he seemed lost in thought.

"Soon. She needs to be alone first."Seilah looked unsure.

"It's not easy to catch her alone." She was surprised by his smile.

"It shouldn't be long before she leaves the restaurant. I've sent something to keep her distracted before you go." He paused and looked at her, eyes dangerously flashing red and she gulped. "Can I count on you to take care of this, Seilah?"He asked,

"Of course, master."He smiled before turning his back to her and walking away. She sighed in relief now that he was gone, wondering why this man made her feel like a scared little girl. Not many things frightened Seilah, but her master was something else.

* * *

"Why are you staring at me like that, shrimp?" Gajeel asked, a little uncomfortable. Him and Levy had reached the restaurant where they would have lunch before his big battle against Sabertooth a few minutes before and she hadn't stopped staring at him curiously.

"Sorry, I was just wondering…why were you so nice to Gray before? It's not like you."He laughed and she smiled as well.

"I'll ignore that last part."He finally stopped laughing."It's like I said, I was sick of hearing Juvia complain about his lack of response, so it's good that he's finally made up his mind." Levy raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"I thought you didn't like him."She commented and Gajeel just shrugged.

"I don't. But as hard as I've tried, can't make Juvia stop loving him. So to learn that he feels the same and intends to finally go after her, I can deal with that."He told her and she smiled.

"And here I thought that you were so insensitive. Looks like you know your way around the….romantic stuff.."She muttered the last part as a small blush came to her face.

"I spend too much time with the Rain Woman and she won't stop talking about it, so I picked up a few things." Gajeel replied without looking at her, eyes focused on the sidewalk as he thought of Juvia. He was really worried about her, something was clearly not right.

"I always wondered what you two talked about."Levy admitted and Gajeel looked at her. She had been able to control her blushing, so her face was back to normal and she looked curious.

"All you had to do was ask."He told her and she suddenly felt like an idiot.

"I know, I guess a part of me was worried about the answer."He raised an eyebrow in confusion and she sighed. "I never understood your friendship with Juvia, it's so different and unlikely, so I guess I was afraid that…"She trailed off and he awaited for her to continue.

"Of what?"He asked, a bit impatient. She blushed and looked away.

"That it might be something more."She finished quickly and kept her gaze away from his. His eyes widened once he understood the meaning of her words and he started laughing.

"Man, I haven't heard so much bullshit in a while!"He said after a few minutes and she looked back at him, surprised. "Me and Juvia? Together? That's like…disgusting!"

"Really?"She asked, heart beating much faster.

"It would be like dating my sister."A disgusted look came to his face before it relaxed into a smile."Besides, she's completely in love with stripper. Won't look at anyone else."

"That's true."Levy remarked, feeling hopeful. "And now we know he feels the same way. It's so sweet and romantic." She gushed and Gajeel just shrugged.

He wasn't the kind of man who cared much for romance, but Levy hoped that wouldn't last forever. After all, she couldn't deny that her own feelings for him had grown much since their return from Tenrou Island and she constantly found herself wondering if their unique friendship could become something more.

She never acted on it, though, afraid that he would run away. From what she had heard from Juvia, Gajeel didn't do relationships and though she knew the way he treated her was different, Levy wouldn't dare set her hopes too high. She was content with being his friend if that's all he could offer.

"Hey, you ok?"Gajeel's voice broke her train of thought and she blushed even harder.

"Fine."She stuttered, suddenly feeling nervous. What if he knew what she was thinking about? No, there was no way he could know. He wasn't a mind reader.

"What were you thinking about?"He asked and Levy sighed, knowing she'd have to lie.

"Just Gray and Juvia."It wasn't a complete lie."It's amazing what's happening to them, I'm happy they've found their way to each other."

"Yeah, could have happened way sooner if stripper wasn't such an idiot."Gajeel laughed and she smiled as well."It's hard to believe the man can fight against the most powerful opponents, but when it comes to love he's a scaredy cat."He remarked and it was Levy's turn to shrug.

"Some people are just afraid of falling in love."She provided and Gajeel nodded in agreement."In Gray's case, I think he's afraid of losing her. I don't know him as well as Erza or Natsu, but I do know that he's lost people he cared about and is probably afraid it might happen again."

"I still think he's an idiot. I know I wouldn't wait so long if I was in love with someone."Levy's eyes widened and she stared at him open mouthed. He was once again staring at the door, looking indifferent, but she could see the blush on his face once he realized what he had just said.

"Have you ever been in love?"It took all of her courage to ask him that and Levy feared his answer more than anything. To both her relief and disappointment, his attention was quickly diverted from her as he stared at something behind her. She turned around and what she saw made her heart hurt. It was Gray, kneeling on the ground with his hands on his head. The bouquet of flowers he had been holding was thrown on the ground not far from him and he was only in his underwear. Something was clearly wrong.

"That's not a good sign."Gajeel said, completely ignoring Levy's previous question.

"I wonder what went wrong, did Juvia reject him?"It was such an absurd question, but it was the only explanation to why Gray looked so…broken. Gajeel didn't answer as he stood up and took a few steps away from the table.

"Stay with him, I'll search for Titania, she'll be able to handle this."He turned to Levy and she nodded before standing up as well. While she walked towards Gray, calling his name, Gajeel stepped away from them. Levy knew something bad must have happened for Gray to completely lose his composure and she could only hope that he would be alright.

**So, what are your thoughts? Who are the mysterious people Juvia remembered? And the woman who 'rescued' her?**

**Did you enjoy the scenes with Zeref and Seilah talking about Gruvia? A lot of important info there!**

**What about the JuviaXLyon scenes? I hope you understood my point that Lyon's not actually a villain in this love triangle, he's just a man in love. I always saw him as someone who wanted to make Juvia happy and didn't think Gray deserved her because of his indifference.**

**What do you think the kiss will mean?** **I hope Juvia wasn't too OOC when she decided to go along with it.**

**Lastly, what do you suppose Gray will do now that he thinks he's lost her? And will Juvia chose the man she loves or the man who loves her?**

**Next chapter: Familiar Faces. Two minor chapters that are deeply connected to Juvia and Gray appear. Plus we'll have some GaLe scenes. I'll post it when we reach 50 hits to the story.**


	4. Familiar Faces

**Hello, dear readers. As promised, here we have chapter 4 of Connections.**

**I'm sure you're not too happy with how we left things last chapter. I warn you this wasn't the only heartbreak the story will put Gray and Juvia through. The path to love and happiness isn't an easy one, after all. But they will be happy by the end of this story, I can promise you that. I am a sucker for happy endings, never have I finished a story in a way the main characters were unhappy.**

**This chapter introduces you to two minor characters that are connected to the main ones and will have an importance in the story. This story is, after all, about how everyone's connected one way or another. Mainly Juvia. You'll be seeing connections between her and many characters, not just Gray.**

**Good luck with this chapter! I think the song pretty much summarizes what it's about. You should listen to it, it's a great song.**

* * *

Never Fall In Love Again-Love, Rosie

What do you get when you fall in love

You get enough tears to fill an ocean

That's what you get for your devotion

I'll never fall in love again

* * *

Juvia and Lyon parted from their kiss, both breathless. The blue haired girl could feel her heart beating faster than ever, but while that might have been a sign that she was attracted to Lyon, the fact that her mind had been on Gray was proof of the opposite. He was all she could think, all she could see while she kissed Lyon. Part of her felt guilty for thinking of someone else while kissing him, but she couldn't help it. Gray was the only one for her, she was sure now.

"Wow. That was..."Lyon trailed off and she finished while smiling sadly at him.

"Intense."She provided and he nodded.

"Yeah. So, how are you feeling?"He questioned and the hopeful look in his eyes pained her. She didn't want to hurt him, but she couldn't lie either.

"I feel the same."She chose to be objective instead of beating around the bush. His face fell immediately. "Please don't feel sad. It just...It isn't meant to be."

"I can't help it, you must understand me since you love Gray so much. How would you feel if he just rejected you?"He replied bitterly and Juvia's heart hurt. Although Gray's indifference made loving him difficult, he had never outright rejected her like she was doing to Lyon.

"I'm so sorry, Lyon. I wish it had worked, I truly do since that would have made things much easier for the both of us."She sighed deeply while thinking about Gray's ignorance of her feelings and how difficult it was with him. Why did she have to fall for him? Why couldn't her stupid heart have chosen the man who actually loved her?

"I wonder why it didn't, though? Didn't you feel anything?"Lyon questioned and she shook her head.

"That's not the issue, the real problem is that all I could think about was Gray. My heart has him so close I can't think of anyone else."She replied and Lyon scoffed.

"That idiot has you wrapped around his fingers and he doesn't even notice it."He said and Juvia sighed once again.

"He'll realize it someday. I don't mind waiting."She hated sounding so unsure, but the truth was she was starting to wonder if Gray would ever return his feelings for her. The thought that he might never do so and she'd forever suffer because of him made her want to cry, but she held back.

"Are you sure about that, Juvia?"Lyon raised his eyebrows and she quickly composed herself. She couldn't let him keep his hopes up, she had to make sure he understood that there was no place for the two of them.

"Yes. Gray will love me, no matter how long it takes. And I won't give up on him."She hoped he would catch on the meaning behind her words. He did.

"So I guess I have no chance, huh?"He asked bitterly and she cast him a soft smile while grabbing his hand.

"I know that there is a girl just waiting to meet you and she'll make you happy like I never could."She told him before squeezing his hand.

"You are that girl, Juvia. I don't think anyone else could make me as happy as I feel when I'm around you."She let go of his hand with a sigh.

"Don't say that. You have to be open or else you'll miss the opportunity."She told him a bit firmly and he provided a small smile.

"You are right. It's just hard."He admitted and Juvia felt sorry for him. She knew the pain of one-sided love and hated being the one to hurt him.

"I know, but it will get better. You will be able to move on, I can feel it."She told him, trying to sound sure and excited and he laughed.

"You sound so sure I can't help but to believe it."He told her and she smiled at him.

"I should get going, it's been a while since Lucy was taken to the infirmary and I'd like to check up on her."She told him after a few minutes of silence and Lyon nodded.

"Sure. I should get back to the arena soon, I think I'll be fighting today."He replied and both stood up.

"So… I hope this doesn't mean we can't see each other again. I had fun playing the guessing game."Both smiled at her last words.

"I think I'll need some time to come to…come to terms with it."He swallowed hard and Juvia wondered if he had been trying to hold back tears. Soon his smile returned. "But tell you what, after the games are over, we can have lunch again. Hopefully without so much drama."

"I would like that."She replied and she hugged him while he wrapped his own arms around her, sighing. "Goodbye, Lyon. And good luck on your battle!"She pulled back and started walking away from him, each step she took made his heart shatter.

"Goodbye, Juvia."He whispered as he watched her go. Once she was gone, he sighed once again. "I sure hope that idiot realizes how lucky he is."

Seeing no point in staying at their table, he walked towards the bar, thinking drowning his sorrows seemed like a good idea. Lyon wasn't the kind of man to drink too often or too much, but after getting his heart broken, he saw no reason not to have a drink.

"What can I get you?"The bartender asked him, looking suspiciously pitiful. Lyon wondered if he had seen Juvia reject him, but there's no way he would bring it up.

"Something strong, please."He asked and the man went behind him to prepare a drink. Lyon sighed and rested his head on his elbows, watching the people around the restaurant. Many of them were staring at him, but he ignored it. As long as they didn't say anything, he didn't care.

Soon the door to the restaurant opened and in came a pink haired girl. She looked upset and rushed and Lyon found her interesting. He didn't know what it was about her, but he had a feeling she would become an important part of his life. He quickly shook it off, this was the kind of crazy thinking that had gotten him in this hopeless situation in the first place.

"Can I get a drink, please?"He was broken out of his train of thought by her voice. Lyon was surprised by the fact that she was now sitting near him on the bar, he didn't even see her get there.

"Sure."The bartender replied before turning to Lyon. "Here you go, man."He placed a drink in front of the ice mage who quickly downed most of it.

"Rough day, huh?"The girl asked, looking at him curiously.

"You could say that."He replied after a sigh.

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened?"She questioned and he shook his head.

"I would rather not talk about it."A look of understanding crossed her face.

"Oh. Alright. I won't mention it, then."She had a beautiful smile and Lyon cursed himself for thinking that. How long had it been since Juvia had broken his heart, five minutes?

"Are you a part of any guild? You look familiar."He asked and the girl looked uncomfortable all of sudden.

"No, I'm not part of any well known guilds."She replied while biting her lip. "You are with Lamia Scale, right?"She added before he could think about her previous words and he nodded.

"Yes, my name is Lyon Vastia."He introduced himself with a proud smile and she gave one of her own.

"Meredy. It's nice to meet you."She replied while extending her hand. He eyed it doubtedly for a few seconds, the memory of Juvia grabbing his hand still fresh on his mind.

"You too."He finally said and as they shook hands, he could have sworn that he felt a spark, but ignored it. He was in no condition to start anything now, so he'd have to ignore all the signs that this Merely girl would be important to him.

* * *

_A few minutes earlier…_

Juvia walked away from the restaurant without turning back, she knew that seeing Lyon again would only cause her pain. Oh, how she hated being the one to break his heart, but what could she do, you don't get to choose who you love. Sometimes she wished her life wasn't so damn complicated.

Besides the love drama, she still had to deal with the fact that some of her memories had returned and it was nothing good. If she had been scared before, now she was terrified. She had known that these people from her nightmares were anything but good, but to learn that they had tortured her for their own fun, made her feel sick. And the worst part was that they were back and would probably come after her.

She sighed deeply. She was unsure what to do, a large part of her felt like telling her friends about it, she knew that they could help and would protect her. However, that would be at the cost of their own safety and knowing how dangerous these people were, the last thing Juvia wanted was to endanger her friend's lives.

"God, why does it have to be so hard?"She muttered underneath her breath as she bit her lip. Should she tell him? Or should she keep it a secret like she had done with so many things?

"I should find Gajeel."She decided, he was the only one who knew about the mysterious strangers that haunted her thoughts and he'd surely know what's the best course of action. She had already confided in him about sensing their presence the day before, so it was a good idea to mention the return of her memories.

"I hope my beloved Gray's doing alright, he wasn't looking so god earlier. Probably worried about Lucy."She muttered as her thoughts returned to him. They never strayed too far from him, even if she tried to avoid thinking about it.

"I wonder if he's thinking about me."She laughed bitterly. "No, if he was he would have come to talk to me. How is it that every time I confess my love he just runs away?"She wondered before sighing. "Why can't he at least give me straight answer instead of avoiding the question?"

She was so lost in thought that she barely realized she had bumped into someone. "Sorry."She mumbled and without looking at the person.

"It's alright, Juvia."She was confused upon hearing her name, but her expression soon turned into a smile upon seeing who she had stumbled upon.

"Meredy?"She questioned and the pink haired girl smiled.

"Hey, it's been a while."They shared a quick hug and Juvia stared at her curiously.

"What are you doing here?"She asked and Meredy raised an eyebrow.

"Did you think I was gonna miss the games?"She asked back and Juvia nodded din understanding.

"So, you came with Ultear? Do you need a place to stay?"She asked and Meredy smiled before shaking her head.

"No, we've arranged it. Thanks, though."There was a moment of silence and that's when Juvia noticed that the young girl's eyes were a bit red and there were dry tearstained on her face.

"Is everything alright?"She asked concernedly and Meredy sighed.

"Ultear and I got into a fight because I wanted to watch the games more closely and she thought it was too dangerous."She explained and Juvia was about to say something when she continued. "I decided to come here to cool off, I know how we can get during a fight."

"Want me to keep you company?"Juvia asked and Meredy shook her head.

"No need, I'll be fine. Right now I just want to have a drink, see if I calm down."Her reply surprised Juvia. "So, how are things between you and Gray? Any progress?"She suddenly asked and Juvia was even more surprised.

"Not really. Why do you ask?"She was confused and Meredy rolled her eyes.

"Please. You two are so meant to be together, I just want to know when that happens."Juvia blushed, but said nothing.

"I should get going, gotta check how Lucy's doing."She said after a few moments of silence and Meredy nodded.

"Sure, see you around."The young girl replied before they parted ways. Juvia was completely unaware that Meredy would soon meet the man she had broken and things were going to get even more complicated.

* * *

_Meanwhile, at the infirmary…_

"Really? She's awake?"An excited Natsu asked as Porlyusica finally told the group of FT members that Lucy had no permanent damage and she had woken up a few minutes before. Everyone inside the room cheered and Erza slapped Natsu on the back while smiling widely.

"See? I told you she'd be fine!"The pink haired man smiled back, looking like he had won the lottery.

"She's asking for you."The older woman told him and he looked back at his friends, who gave him encouraging smiles, before entering the room. Elfman and Evergreen were asleep on the bed furthest from the door, her head on his chest while she sat on a chair by his side. Lucy was sitting on the bed close to the door, body wrapped in bandages, a smile lighting up her face when she saw him.

"Hey."He said before closing the door and walking towards the bed.

"Hey."She replied while moving away a bit so he could sit down.

"How are you doing?"He asked, concerned.

"I'm okay, Natsu. No reason to worry."She replied with a smile that he didn't return.

"It's too late for that."Her face fell when she noticed the pain in his tone. "I thought I was going to lose you."He admitted before she could say anything and her heart hurt at how broken he sounded.

"Oh, Natsu. I would never leave you just like that."He looked at her with shimmering dark green eyes.

"I know, you're strong and don't give up easily, but when I saw you…"He gulped and she looked away. "You were barely breathing, Lucy. It took both Chelia and Wendy just to make you breath normally and then I had to wait for so long."

"It's over now. I'm alright, we're alright."She said gently yet firmly.

"It will take a while for me to get over what happened."She nodded, knowing she would take a while to overcome her torture as well.

"We'll manage, together."She said shyly before grabbing his hand and squeezing it tight.

"Of course. You can forget all about privacy, cause there's no way I'm letting you out of my sight."He said firmly and Lucy shook her head.

"Not even when I need to take a shower?"He smirked.

"No way, I know you like it when I join you."He whispered and she blushed furiously, remembering the last time they had taken a shower together. It had only been a few weeks since they had officially gotten together, but somehow if felt much longer. The two had kept it a secret from their friends, wanting to see where it went first before telling them anything.

Besides, Fairy Tail members had a bad habit of not leaving people alone when they got together. They remembered when Mirajane and Freed had gone on a date and everyone hadn't stopped talking about it and the poor couple had been questioned to no end. Natsu and Lucy didn't want that, they would rather be together in quiet, without anyone knowing so no one could disturb them.

"At least we managed to get second place, right?"Lucy asked after a few moments of silence. He nodded.

"Yeah, you did great. The way you stood up to Minerva, I'm proud of you, Lucy."He told her and she smiled brightly.

"As you said, I never give up easily. You taught me that, amongst many other things."She replied before she put her hands on his shoulders, moaning at bit in pain. "I'm fine."She waved off his concerned look.

"You should rest."He pointed out and she once again waved if off.

"I will, but right now I just want to be with you."He smiled at her sweet words before wrapping his arms around her. They hugged for a few minutes, content to be in each other's arms. He played with her hair while she just listened to his heart beating for her. It wasn't long before Lucy lifted her head and touched his cheek with her hand. He took the hint right away and carefully moved her up so they could kiss. It was passionate and sweet at the same time, but it got interrupted too soon.

"Oh My God!"It was Erza, having just entered the room, and the couple quickly pulled apart so they could stare at her, wide eyed. "You two…"She stared saying before Lucy cut her off before she could scream.

"Please don't scream."She pleaded and the red haired warrior opened and closed her mouth a few times, unmoving. Soon the door behind her was opened forcefully and in came Wendy and Mira.

"Is everything ok, Erza?"Wendy asked softly while Mira surveyed the scene, a knowing look on her eyes.

"What is going on?"She asked them curiously and Erza finally found her voice.

"A miracle!"She told them with an excited blink in her eyes. Natsu and Lucy raised eyebrows in question.

"Oh. You mean these two…"Mira looked between Erza and the stunned couple on the bed. "That's wonderful!"The white haired mage yelled excitedly while Wendy remained silent.

"I'm so happy for you!"She added after a few seconds and Natsu and Lucy blushed.

"This is so not how we planned on telling you guys!"Lucy spoke at last and the smiles on her friends' faces made her happier than ever.

"How long has this been going on?"Erza questioned, arms crossed over her chest, suddenly serious. Before anyone could say anything, they heard a scream.

"Where the hell is Titania?"It was Gajeel, having run all the way from the restaurant until the infirmary. He looked around wildly and a few members of FT recoiled in fear.

"You should go there before he gets out of control."Mira warned the red head and Erza nodded.

"Just to be clear, this conversation isn't over. You'll be telling me everything as soon as I'm done."She cast a threatening look at the couple, who quickly nodded in fear.

"Of course, of course."Lucy said just before Erza left the room. "Saved by the bell."She muttered after sighing.

"You know she won't leave us alone now."Natsu whispered back, but the other two occupants of the room were able to hear him.

"Then we have no choice."Lucy said dramatically and her boyfriend rolled his eyes.

"What's going on?"They heard a whisper and turned to Evergreen, who was now awake and looking at them in confusion. Elfman remained asleep on the bed. Mira was about answer when Erza spoke loudly, so everyone turned their attention to the closed door.

"What is it?"She asked and Gajeel replied quickly.

"We have a problem. A big one."They missed the raise of Erza's eyebrows as she awaited for him to explain himself. "Something's wrong with stripper, I think that stupid plan of yours didn't work."

"What plan?"They heard Lisanna ask curiously.

"Are you talking about that crazy operation you asked Mira to help with?"Max asked next.

"What happened?"Erza ignored both questions and looked at Gajeel in confusion.

"No idea. But he looks pretty broken if you ask me."He replied, voice serious. Erza sighed.

"I don't get it, they were supposed to be happily together right now."She said and that was enough for some members to understand what was happening.

"You mean Gray and Juvia, right?"Lisanna asked, excitement on her tone.

"It was about time these two got together."A very drunk Cana added with a smirk.

"Well, they're not. He wouldn't be acting like a crybaby if that happened."Gajeel grumbled and Erza sighed.

"This is bad. Take me to him, Gajeel."She said and the iron dragon slayer nodded before turning back to the door. Erza followed him for a while and, upon noticing some members about to follow her, shook her head and cast them a threatening look. Gray wouldn't want anyone to see him in that state. Only Mira was allowed to go since she was part of Operation Gruvia.

"So much drama."Natsu complained while shaking his head.

"It's just how Fairy Tail works, never a boring moment."Lucy replied while smiling.

* * *

Juvia walked for a while longer, her thoughts still centered around Gray, Lyon and the mess they had gotten themselves into. If only Lyon hadn't fallen for her or if she had fallen for him instead of holding onto Gray, things would be so much easier.

She sighed deeply before suddenly stopping. She was frozen into place as the she felt it again, their presence. They were near. She immediately looked around wildly, trying to spot the enemy. There was no sign of them. She was close to giving up and accepting that she was truly losing it when she saw him.

Her breath was caught in her throat as she easily recognized his spiky black hair, the scar on his right eye and the silver armor he usually wore. He was looking in her direction and she was frozen in her spot, staring at him in disbelief.

"Silver."She muttered, the name causing her heart to beat faster as memories of the past overwhelmed her once again.

* * *

"Gray?"He heard a voice calling him and he looked over his shoulder only to find Levy McGarden. He was confused to why she was there before remembering that he had run for a good while without looking around.

"Hey."He mumbled weakly and she gave him a gentle smile before kneeling on the ground next to him.

"Here, I found your shirt."She said before handling him the piece of clothing. He silently thanked her before slipping it on, knowing it wasn't a good idea to walk around in your underwear. People tended to get freaked out.

"So, what are you doing here?"He spoke after a few seconds of awkward silence and she looked surprised by his question.

"Oh. Gajeel and I were having lunch."A clear blush spread on her cheeks and Gray would have smirked if he wasn't so unhappy.

"I see. Seems like many people are having lunch together today."He mumbled bitterly and she looked confused.

"Is something wrong with that?"She asked and he sighed. Levy wasn't exactly a close friend, they didn't know each other well, so Gray normally wouldn't have confided in her. However, there was something about this girl, she was just so warm and caring and he felt so at ease in her presence. He could understand now why even Gajeel of all people never raised his voice at her, Levy was just too pure and sweet.

"Everything's wrong."He hated himself for sounding so dramatic and absolute, but that's just how he felt. Her warm brown eyes stared at him in curiosity and empathy. "Juvia…she's finally moved on from me."He finally admitted and it hurt like hell. Levy's eyes widened.

"Are you sure?"She looked absolutely stunned with this piece of news.

"Yes, it was pretty clear when I saw her kissing Lyon."She gasped in surprise and covered her mouth. "Yeah, it was a shock, but I should have seen it coming. It was only a matter of time before she realized there was someone else better for her."He admitted bitterly and was surprised when she shook her head.

"That's not true!"She said firmly and Gray raised an eyebrow."I mean, you might have taken some time, but I always thought you were the right person for her."She admitted with a blush and Gray was unsure what to say.

"Hm…Thanks?"She smiled at him before placing an unsure hand on his shoulder.

"You might not see it, but I do. You two are meant to be happy together."Gray sighed and shook his head firmly.

"No, that may have been true before, but things have changed. Lyon was smart enough to take the opportunity and Juvia has accepted him."It hurt to say it, but it was true. "I have to give them space."Levy surprised him even more when she glared at him.

"So you'll just give up? Are you kidding me?"She almost yelled and Gray was too stunned to do much.

"Is everything okay here?"They heard a voice ask and Levy immediately dropped her hand from Gray's shoulder to stare at Gajeel, Erza and Mira, who had just arrived.

"What are YOU doing here?"Gray asked the black haired man rather rudely and Gajeel narrowed his eyes.

"I came to help you, stripper, so you'd better be nice before I change my mind."He spoke firmly before crossing his arms. "Don't forget, no one knows Juvia better than I do."The mention of her name made the pain come back and Gray gave a defeated sigh.

"Good thing you're here, because Gray was just being an idiot."Levy said while rolling her eyes and everyone stared at her in surprise. "What?"She asked while raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing. So, what happened?"Erza asked Gray worriedly and he suddenly felt angry. It was her fault this had happened, if he hadn't followed her crazy plan to declare his love for Juvia in what was probably the cheesiest way possible, he wouldn't be in this mess.

"What happened is your stupid plan didn't work!"He yelled while standing up, staring angrily at Erza. There was silence for a few seconds, everyone too scared to move. No one yelled at Erza Scarlet. No one.

"Okay. Mind telling me what went wrong?"The red head asked calmly after a few seconds and Gajeel stared at her open mouthed. Him and Levy had moved away from the other two and were standing there, his arm unconsciously wrapped around her shoulder. Mira had also moved a few steps, having settled for watching the scene quietly.

"You didn't consider the fact that it might be too late."Gray replied brokenly and Erza looked confused, so he clarified. "She's moved on, Erza. She was kissing Lyon, quite enthusiastically at that."

"No way!"She shook her head vigorously while Mira stared at him wide eyed.

"That's not possible!"Gray looked at them determinedly.

"Levy's right, I was an idiot. I took so long to realize that I returned her feelings that I missed my chance."He sighed deeply. "Now all I can do is let them be."

"What?"Erza looked incredulous and Gajeel stared at Gray like he was the biggest idiot on Earth.

"You're giving up just like that?"The iron dragon slayer asked him angrily while Mira looked disappointed.

"I thought you loved her."She told him rather icily and he was taken aback.

"And I do. That's why I have to give her space. It's the right thing to do."He replied simply and Levy shook her head.

"No, not in this case."She mumbled and Gajeel nodded in agreement.

"Look, Juvia loves you. I don't know what she's doing with Lyon, but she wouldn't give up so easily."He explained and Erza spoke before he could continue.

"She's probably thinking that she can find happiness with Lyon, since he's made it clear that he cares for her. You need to show her that you do as well."She told him and Gray surprised them by shaking his head.

"No, what I need to do is back off. I had my chance and I blew it, so even if I hate it, I have to let him have his."He continued before anyone could protest. "I don't deserve her, never did."

"On that I can agree, you never deserved her."Gajeel said with a sigh. "Why the hell did it take you so long to figure out that you love her? You could have saved both of you a lot of suffering."

"I know. But I can't change the past, so let's focus on the future. I will leave Juvia and Lyon alone, I won't interfere with their relationship."Upon seeing the looks of protest from his friends, he was quick to add. "Don't worry, I'm not giving up on her. I'm just giving her a chance to find happiness with Lyon.I don't deserve to be selfish right now and snatch her away. So I'll wait and hope things don't work out between them so that I can have my chance. But I won't get in their way."Erza and Levy shook their heads vigorously while Gajeel looked unsure.

"It's your decision, so even if I think you're making a huge mistake, I'll respect it."Erza said after taking a few deep breaths and Gray smiled weakly.

"Thanks for understanding. This isn't easy for me, but I don't want to be the one who prevented her from finding happiness."He told her and Mira spoke next.

"I think that just proves how you are the right one for her. I know you two will be together one day, you could make her way happier than Lyon can. You just need to wait now, Gray."She looked proud and Gray cast her a thankful smile. Upon hearing a bitter laugh, Gray turned to Gajeel.

"You're just as stubborn as Juvia, so I can see there's no changing your mind."He commented. "But just for the record, I think you're being the biggest idiot on the planet right now. If I were you, I would go after her not caring about that other idiot who's just fooling himself. Juvia could never love anyone else."

"Thanks, Gajeel."Gray said with a smile, glad to have Juvia's BFF approving of him. Well, sort of.

"Are you going to be okay?"Sweet Levy asked, concerned.

"As long as Juvia's happy, I will be just fine."Gray meant every word. Her happiness meant more to him than even his own."I have faith that we will find our way to each other someday."He added.

Gray sighed internally, he truly had changed a lot since realizing that he loved Juvia. But as he thought about it, this wasn't new, he would have chosen her happiness before his months before, when they were barely friends. He had always cared for her, but been too afraid to act on it. Oh, how he hated himself now for being such a coward. He could have been happy by now, with her by his side.

But there was no use in thinking of what ifs, so he decided to focus on what he had learned from his mistakes. First, he had to stop avoiding his feelings. Second, Juvia was the woman he loved and if things didn't work with Lyon, he wouldn't wait to tell her how he felt. And third, if he did manage to get her, he wouldn't let her go. He would make her happy because she deserved it.

A smile spread across his face. Him and Juvia would find their way to each other again, even if took a while. After all, don't they say good things come in good time? "This is far from over."

* * *

_"Why is your name Silver? It's rather odd."The young girl questioned and the man laughed._

_"I guess it is. It's kind of a family tradition to name the children after colors. My grandmother was named Emerald and my aunt Sapphire."He explained and she smiled._

_"Those are nice names. What about your son?"Silver mentioned to her a couple times he had a son, but he always avoided the subject. Juvia couldn't help being curious about this mysterious boy that had obviously been very important to Silver._

_"Oh, his name is Gray."Silver avoided her eyes and she knew it was best to change the subject. At least she knew his name now._

_"In my family, the names are usually related to water. Expect for my mother, her name was chosen because of a heroine from books my grandma used to love."She told him and he smiled._

_"Juliet. It's quite an unique name."She nodded in agreement._

_"I miss her."The young girl admitted afterwards. "I know it's silly considering I never really knew her, but I miss her. She had a beautiful voice."Silver gave her a sympathetic smile._

_"It's not silly at all. She was an important part of your life, even if briefly."He told her gently and, upon seeing the tears threatening to fall from her eyes, he opened his arms._

_"Come here."Juvia didn't hesitate to approach him and accept his embrace. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head gently. "Everything will turn out alright, you'll see. I promise that I will keep you safe."He vowed and she knew he meant it. Silver kept his promise, he protected her for as long as he could. She hated the fact that she hadn't been able to do the same for him._

"I have to talk to him."Juvia muttered once she returned to reality. She looked back at Silver only to see he was walking in the opposite direction. She immediately started running after him, but the streets were so crowded it was difficult. She followed him for a good while, until she reached the place where Lamia Scale was staying. Juvia huffed in annoyance when she realized that Silver was gone.

"Great!"She muttered beneath her breath when her attention was caught by someone, a woman standing by the river. She had black hair and eyes and she wore a beige kimono. Juvia's heart started beating faster in fear because she knew that woman. She recognized her easily, after all, it was hard to forget the reason your for all your suffering.

"You!"She muttered and the woman's impassive expression didn't change. She turned her back to Juvia and started walking along the river, the blue haired girl hesitated for a second before following her. They walked for only a few minutes until Seilah stopped. Unnoticed by Juvia, there was a huge rock that shielded them from the eyes of stranger walking by. No one would see what happened between them, no one would know about it. Just as Zeref had predicted, the secrets of Juvia's past would remain buried and so would his.

**So, thoughts?**

**Did you enjoy the Lyredy scenes? What do you think is gonna happen between them? I don't know where people came up with this couple, but I've read a few fanfics with them and thought they were cute. Also, it's the perfect way for Lyon to move on. He deserves some happiness though it won't be easy for him either.**

**What about JuviaXMeredy friendship? I just love those two and Meredy teasing her about Gray is nice. She's the number 2 Gruvia Shipper, after Erza.**

**NaLu fans, are you happy with my take on these two?**

**And Silver, huh? You knew he would appear sooner or later, it's in the summary. He's pretty important. I hope you liked the little tease with him and Juvia.**

**We've got a big reveal here already, so I advise you take a good look at the flashbacks on chapter 3 if you don't understand what I mean.**

**Lastly, what are your thoughts on Gray's decision to back off? Do you think it was too OOC? And when will he discover that Juvia isn't truly dating Lyon?**

**Next chapter comes when we make it to 65 hits.**


	5. The Power Of Emotions

**Hello, dear readers! First of all, thank you so much! You helped me reach 65 hits so quickly and I wasn't expecting it. You keep this up and the chapters will keep coming fast! I've already scheduled the next one for Monday.**

**As I mentioned last chapter, this one is all about Gruvia and Lyon. So for GaLe, NaLu and Jerza fans, so sorry!**

**Happy reading Gruvia fans!**

* * *

Need You Now-Lady Antebellum

It's a quarter after one

I'm all alone, but I need you now

Said I wouldn't call, but I lost all control

And I need you now

* * *

2 days after the events of day 4 of the Grand Magic Games, the time came for the final day. The final battle. The last chance for the guilds to leave their mark and to become the number 1 in Fiore. All the competing guilds were ready to give it their all, they all had reasons to win the games. However, for one guild the reason was more important, more crucial so they couldn't afford any failures.

Fairy Tail had been able to come back on top during the 4th day, after Natsu and Gajeel won their battle against Sting and Rogue from Sabertooth, quite brilliantly and unexpectedly. The guild members had been thrilled due to that victory, it meant more them than just winning the battle, it served as payback for Minerva's relentless torture of Lucy only a few hours earlier. Everyone was happy. They celebrated that night harder than ever.

Too bad only the next day things turned for the worse when Lucy was captured by the royal soldiers because of her apparent involvement in a secret project called the Eclipse. Natsu, Gray, Wendy, Gajeel and her had gone to the castle accompanied by Colonel Arcadius from the royal army and Yukino, a former member of Sabertooth. The two latter had told them about a project that involved going back in time and killing Zeref before he became the dark wizard. They argued it was a way to save the world from a lot of heartache and prevent many horrible things that happened because of Zeref.

The members of Fairy Tail barely had time to process the idea when they were stopped by the royal army and Lucy and Yukino were taken. The other 4 were lucky to be set free, much to their surprise. When they returned to the guild, they started forming a plan of rescue, but the problem was that going against the king's wishes was a terrible idea. They had been promised that if they won the games, they would get an audience with his majesty and Lucy might be free. However, Fairy Tail doesn't work with such odds, so they started forming a plan.

Master Makarov came up with the brilliant idea of using the last day of the Games as a cover for their rescue mission. With all eyes on the competitors, no one would notice them entering the palace and saving Lucy. It was then decided that Natsu, Mirajane and Wendy would go there. That meant that one spot was free in Fairy Tail's team for the games, so master suggested that it should be occupied by Juvia Lockser. The water mage was surprised to be chosen, but Makarov made it clear not only she was a powerful mage, but she and Gray worked brilliantly together as a team and would surely be able to conquer many enemies together.

Of course, the master was unaware of how awkward things had been between these two since Gray had been avoiding her like the plague and Juvia had been keeping her distance as well. She was still feeling guilty about what had happened with Lyon and couldn't face Gray yet. So the two of them weren't on peaking terms, so her joining Fairy Tail's team wasn't exactly good news for them. However, Lucy's freedom was at stake, so they would do what must be done to ensure a victory on the games.

The fight on the last day had the whole city of Crocus as an arena, so the participants spread across it. Fairy Tail had a plan formed by Master Mavis and as they executed it, they were able to conquer many points and maintain the first place. However, Lamia Scale and Sabertooth were closely behind. These two guilds had extremely powerful members, such as dragon slayers Sting and Rogue, god slayers such as Chelia and wizard saints such as Jura.

The fights had proceeded, with each Fairy Tail member encountering various foes. Gray got into an intense match with Rufus from Sabertooth, who had completely owned him in the first day. It was difficult and he almost got his ass kicked once again, but in the end the power of his emotions, specially the anger and heartbreak from the past two days, allowed him to overcome the enemy.

While he was fighting Rufus, Juvia watched from the distance, she desired nothing more than find him and aid him, but she knew that she had to trust her love. Gray had made it clear that he wanted to face Rufus himself and Juvia knew he wouldn't want her barging in. So she suppressed her instincts and focused on having faith in him and knowing that Gray wouldn't lose. Not today. Not when Lucy's freedom was at stake.

While Juvia provided cover for her friends, Erza, Gajeel and Laxus engaged in fights of their own. The first was up against Kagura and Minerva, so the fight was more intense than any other. The result came as a surprise for everyone when Minerva used a captured Milliana to force the other two to engage in a fight, claiming she would go up against the victor.

Gajeel fought against Rogue, who wasn't much of a threat for him, but something happened along the fight and he got more powerful and vicious. It was close and Juvia couldn't help but to worry about her best friend, but in the end he didn't disappoint and managed to win.

Laxus didn't disappoint either, he was up against wizard saint Jura, possibly the strongest fighter in the competition. But the lightening dragon slayer was more invested in the fight due to its meaning, so he was able to overcome the huge challenge with gusto.

* * *

In the end, Juvia ended up having to fight after all. She encountered Chelia, a god slayer. She knew it would be a tough fight, since the pink haired girl was way more powerful than her, but she wouldn't give up. She couldn't.

"So you're the girl Lyon's in love with."Chelia sneered once she and Juvia met in the middle of an empty street. Her words made Juvia remember her last meeting with the white haired man and how heartbroken he was afterwards.

"Yes, and the feeling's not mutual, as he's well aware."She said after sighing.

"Then get lost!"The younger girl screamed before sending an attack Juvia's way. The water mage wasn't able to block it, but it didn't do much against her water body. She could see this would be a tough fight.

They traded spells for a while and Juvia kept her busy just as Master Mavis had told her to do. She could feel as time passed and they kept on their battle, Chelia sometimes throwing in a snarky comment about Lyon and Juvia started feeling guilty. She knew that she had hurt him, but Chelia made it sound a thousand times worse.

"To think she's giving Chelia such a hard time."They soon heard a whisper followed by a chuckle, but neither girl stopped their fight. Juvia was able to push the other girl back with her water slicer and Chelia looked angrily at her before her eyes narrowed.

"Not this crap again!"Upon hearing her beloved's voice, the blue haired girl turned to see Gray walking their way. He had a few injuries from his fight against Rufus, but looked overall okay. She was relieved to see him and she cast him a smile.

"Gray!"She greeted him happily and wasn't at all surprised when he didn't return her smile. He had been avoiding her for the past two days and Juvia knew he was mad at her about something, but she wasn't exactly sure what it was. Now was not the time to think about it, though.

"What happened to you, Gray? You look a little rough."Lyon asked with a smirk and Juvia suddenly felt uncomfortable. She could see now that this fight wouldn't be easy, not when Lyon was clearly unhappy with Gray and probably her too. They had their work cut out for them.

"I was just taking care of some unfinished business. You know how it is."Gray replied, giving Lyon a smirk of his own. He felt so angry at that point that he wanted nothing more than to punch his stupid rival on the face. However, he was sure Juvia wouldn't be too happy if he did that.

"Oh, boy."Juvia muttered when she saw Lyon ready for a comeback.

"Of course. In fact, I think you and I have a lot of unfinished business to take care of right now."He replied dryly and Chelia looked in confusion at him. Instead of answering to Lyon, Gray surprised Juvia by turning to her.

"Hey, Juvia."She looked at him in expectation.

"Yes?"She asked and he suddenly looked nervous.

"Shall we take them out…together?"She was confused by how it came as more of a question than a statement.

"Of course."She replied with a smile of her own before she walked closer to him. Lyon watched the movement as a pained look crossed over his face.

"You ok?"Chelia whispered in his ear. He quickly smiled and shook off her worries.

"I'm fine."He said firmly, leaving no room for argument.

"You'd better give this fight your all. No holding back."Gray whispered in Juvia's ear once she was close to him and she felt her heart beat faster at the proximity.

But then she remembered that Lyon was only a few feet away and this must not be easy for him. So she quickly stepped away to increase the distance between herself and Gray, missing the pained look on his face when she did so.

"I will. Why would I hold back when there's so much at stake?"She curiously asked and Gray didn't answer, instead choosing to avoid her eyes. Something wasn't right. But she had no time to dwell on it.

"Okay, that's enough chatting. Let's begin this battle."Lyon said loudly and the couple turning their attention to where him and Chelia were already in a fighting position. Before Gray and Juvia could do anything, the pink haired girl threw a powerful spell their way and they were thrown back until Gray's back connected with one of the houses and Juvia fell on top of him.

"Ouch."He muttered while the blushing blue haired girl was quick to come out of his lap and she looked at him with concern.

"Are you okay?"He nodded before standing up.

"There is no way in hell I would go down so easily."He told her firmly before looking back to where Lyon and Chelia were. They seemed to be lost in conversation, probably planning their next move.

"What do you think we should do?"Juvia asked him and he smiled.

"Whatever it takes to win. Let's attack them together this time."She returned his smile.

"It's a good idea, but I think we need to change the location."Upon seeing his look of confusion, Juvia was quick to explain."There's a river nearby, we should lead them there so my attacks will be stronger. We'll have the advantage."He nodded in understanding before looking in Lyon's direction.

"Hey, Lyon. Are you too scared to attack us?"He teased and the older ice mage raised an eyebrow.

"Is that what you think, Gray? Because you couldn't be more mistaken."He put his hands together and made a few eagles chase after them. Gray took Juvia's hand, much to her surprise and led her out of their way while he used his own ice to counter off Lyon's attacks. As planned, they were able to lead the other two towards the river, where Juvia happily settled.

* * *

A few minutes into the battle, they were holding up pretty well despite the fact that Lyon and Chelia clearly had the upper hand. "You're not as skilled as I am, but you are persistent."Lyon provoked and Gray smirked.

"You still don't think I've got any skills, huh?"Gray retorted. "Then check this out."He barely started his attack and Lyon was already sending many eagles their way.

'Lyon's fighting harder than usual, I guess he truly is mad at Gray, even thought it's my fault.' Juvia thought gloomily while she watched the two man fight. Both were giving it their all and she wondered why was Gray so concentrated. Was it simply because of Lucy? Or was it because he too was angry, most likely at Lyon. She knew they had a rough relationship and history and she guessed that the fact that Lyon was in love with her didn't sit well with Gray, even if he didn't have feelings for her.

"Juvia."Gray's voice broke her train of thought and she looked towards the eagles coming Gray's way. Without him saying it, she understood what he needed.

"Ready!"She yelled back before performing her spell. "Water Nebula!"For a second she saw Lyon's impressed look before his face went back to determination.

"Ice Make Shotgun."Gray's spell connected with hers and they went full force towards their opponents. Unfortunately, Chelia had no problem blocking it.

"Good job, Chelia."Lyon praised and the young girl turned to him with irritation.

"Why the heck are you just standing there?"She complained and he ignored her.

"Now, Gray, would you really stoop so low as to force Juvia to attack me like that?"Gray looked slightly confused and Juvia face palmed. This was getting out of hand. "You'll pay for that!"Lyon vowed and was forming another attack when Chelia interrupted.

"Are you insane?"She was exasperated and Juvia understood the feeling. The two ice mages were taking it too far.

"She would never align herself with a scumbag like you."Lyon's words seemed to hit a sensitive spot for Gray attacked him blindly and in fury.

"Shut up!"He yelled and sent a hammer that was blocked by Lyon's water serpent.

"Gray!"Juvia screamed worriedly once she saw him being knocked by Lyon's attack. Thankfully, it didn't do much damage.

"Hey, don't forget that we're fighting her too."Chelia reminded Lyon while pointing towards the water mage.

"I'm leaving that to you. Be careful, you're not allowed to injure her."He told Chelia and Juvia internally sighed. Seems like Lyon wasn't mad at her in the end, but hadn't started moving on either. This wasn't good. She didn't want to keep hurting him, but he needed to get serious.

"Stop holding back when it comes to me, Lyon. There's no reason for it."She told the ice mage firmly and his smirk faltered.

"I'm simply trying to protect you, Juvia. It's something this idiot clearly can't do."He pointed at Gray and Juvia was at a loss of words. How come he was treating her so nicely even after she had rejected him? Was his jealously towards Gray blinding him to the fact that she was the one who had broken his heart?

"Like hell I can't! You need to learn how to keep your moth shut!"Gray replied angrily, but Juvia could see the pain in his eyes. She wondered why he suddenly seemed to be so upset.

"This is getting out of hand."Juvia muttered and Chelia looked lost.

"And you need to learn how to appreciate what you have!"Lyon replied to Gray's remark before sending another attack his way. It was more powerful than the others and Gray was pushed back, almost falling from the bridge if Juvia hadn't built a water column.  
"Lyon's more powerful than I remembered."She commented lowly and Gray smirked.

"Maybe, but he totally sucks at teamwork. Let's use that to our advantage."He suggested and she nodded. They needed to finish this fight as soon as possible, with each minute Lucy's life could be in danger and besides, Juvia was getting sick of dealing with Gray and Lyon's silly rivalry. Well, silly in Gray's part, she knew Lyon was acting that way because of his jealously and heartbreak. Of course, she was completely unaware that the reason Gray was fighting so hard and falling for Lyon's snarky comments was his anger at the older man for stealing her. If only their feelings had been clear from the start, this battle might have been easier for everybody.

* * *

Unknown to either participants, a lone figure watched their intense fight from afar. The mysterious man had settled himself in the roof of one of the houses overlooking the battle, hidden from the fighters' point of view. He had spiky black hair and dark eyes, a small scar in one of them. He wore a silver amour that made him look like a soldier and it could be said he was one.

"This is interesting."He mumbled while watching the two ice mages arguing like children and he laughed. "So that man is his rival, it's clear both of them are in love with the girl."

The mention of the blue haired water mage who fought alongside Gray brought a smile to his face. He knew who she was, had known from the first moment he had seen her, a few hours before. It was hard to forget such an important person from his past and seeing her living an apparent happy life with Fairy Tail, he was glad that he had managed to save her.

"But Gray will win her heart, I just know it."Silver added with a smile. He knew Gray would win this fight as well, his emotions had lead him to become much stronger than the white haired man.

"He's just as stubborn and passionate as I imagined he would be."Silver sighed. Thinking about all the years he had gone by never imagining a day would come when he would see Gray again and have the honor of watching his son fight so intensely. This was truly a struck of luck.

"Well, not exactly luck. Not once Keyes learns about this, if he's not already aware."His stomach dropped as he thought of the man who was the main reason for his miserable life. Truthfully, it couldn't be said he was really a man. He was something else entirely, more dangerous and deadly.

"I'm sure he will think of Gray as the perfect experiment, even more so when he can be used as an advantage over me."Silver whispered, his stomach dropping at the thought. "No, I can't allow them to know Gray is still alive. I have to keep quiet, if they find out about it, it won't come from me." He was determined, after all, Gray was the most important person in his life, even if the young ice mage was unaware of it. But there was also the girl.

"I wonder if they know that she's here."Silver thought before sighing. Of course they did. If Zeref knew, and he surely did, the others would be informed as well. And Silver didn't even want to think of what they might do about it. Would they take the girl? Or would they allow her to remain free since the time hadn't come yet for her to be used? And what should Silver do about it? Should he tell her about the plan?

Well, the answer to that one was obvious. He couldn't. There was no way they would allowed him to do so and they always knew when he tried to inform others of their sick plans. It was no use trying to warn them. He would have to remain in the shadows.

"I'm sorry, Juvia. I wish I could protect you like I promised, but when Gray's life is in danger I have no other choice."Silver sighed and looked at the ground. It was difficult knowing in truth he couldn't protect either of them. Not from Tartarus. Not from Zeref. He felt so useless, only watching from the shadows instead of talking to these two young people who had once been so important to him.

His attention was brought to the ongoing fight and he smiled. Even though he was clearly bruised and tired, Gray kept going. He was just as stubborn as Silver himself had been and the thought brought warmth to his frozen heart.

* * *

"Man, this is definitely getting exhausting."Gray said while panting. It had been over an hour since the battle against Lyon and Chelia had started and both him and Juvia were completely exhausted.

"My magic power is nearly gone."Juvia commented, she was kneeling by then, unable to support herself. Their two opponents didn't look too good either, although they didn't seem as tired.

"Juvia, please forgive me."Lyon said while looking at her softly. By then she was beyond annoyed with his nice treatment, she would have preferred if he had attacked her in anger. His gentleness and caring attitude only made her feel guilty for breaking his heart and it was eating her away.

She had been distracted for most of the battle, earning herself some unnecessary injuries, though Gray had done a good job at covering for her. He had been acting strange since the beginning of the battle and she still didn't understand why besides clear anger, he appeared to be so upset. She had spent two days wondering what on earth had happened for him to act this way and she wished nothing more than for this fight to be over so that she could question him about it.

"Let's finish them off and get our points!"Chelia yelled, bringing Juvia to reality. The pink haired girl had become more impatient as the battle went on and her discontent with Lyon was clear as day. Juvia was sure when they were done he would be getting an earful from the young girl.

"Hurting girls isn't my thing, Chelia. Specially Juvia. If you want points, then take care of her yourself."The ice mage replied while giving Juvia another soft look that she ignored.

"Will you quit being so stubborn? You're stronger than both of them and you know it. So just go all out and we'll be done here."She yelled back before adding. "And if you get hurt somehow, I'll fix you up with healing magic." Lyon's response was interrupted by Juvia's quiet whisper.

"Healing magic?"She was so tired she could feel her body begging her to slow down and take a break, but she couldn't. Not yet.

"Oh, crap! I forgot that was something she could do!"Gray said in frustration, face getting pale. This made their chances of winning even lower than they already were.

"An unfortunate mistake. Your poor memory is another advantage I have over you."Lyon remarked and Chelia huffed in frustration.

"Lyon! Quit showing off and take them out already"Her hands were balled into fists and she looked so angry it was almost scary. Of course, for those who knew Erza Scarlet, Chelia was a sweet puppy in comparison.

The two Lamia Scale competitors kept bickering while Juvia and Gray watched them silently. They used that time to regain a bit of energy and breathe. Suddenly, the water mage felt a hand on her shoulder and she was surprised by how close Gray was all of sudden.

"We found their weak point. And it's fatal."He whispered so only she could hear before squeezing her shoulder. She touched his hand with her own, glad that he seemed to have become less distant than when the fight had started. "When it comes to teamwork, they've got nothing on us."Gray added after he held her hand and helped her up. She was unstable, but able to stand.

"Gray, my love."She said adoringly upon seeing the determination in his eyes and he smiled at her. There was an emotion in them she couldn't quite decipher.

"We're ending this. Are you with me?"She nodded, feeling adrenaline coursing through her veins.

"Of course."She answered softly before squeezing his hand. Gray cast her a smile so bright she couldn't help but to return it. She completely forgot that Lyon and Chelia were there, and watching them.

"You bastard! How dare you stab me in the heart like this!"He yelled and Gray looked confused for a second before returning to determined.

"Come on, Juvia." The blue haired girl nodded and she forced herself to keep standing. This was it. The moment of truth. Their last chance of victory.

"Chelia, I need you to heal me. Quickly!"Lyon tried to catch the attention of the gold slayer, who was frozen in place.

"So romantic."She whispered while staring at the couple in front of them in amazement. Lyon took in a sharp breath.

"If you don't do something, we're going to lose this!"Chelia finally broke from her stupor, but it was too late. Still holding hands, the couple in front of them was performing their unison raid.

"Water Nebula!"Juvia yelled at the same time Gray yelled "Ice Geyser!". Their spells combined in perfect synchrony and Lyon and Chelia were thrown far away, both screaming in surprise.

"Now that's a win for teamwork."Gray said while they shared bright smiles.

It didn't take long for the adrenaline from the fight to run off and both found themselves too tired to keep standing. So Gray slowly retracted his hand from hers before moving towards one of the houses and sitting down. Juvia watched him for a few seconds before doing the same. A relieved sigh escaped her mouth and she closed her eyes while resting her back agains the house.

"That was possibly hardest fight of my life."She whispered and Gray chuckled.

"I wouldn't say the hardest, but surely it took a lot of work."He replied and his next statement made her heart hurt. "It's strange. I've never seen Lyon fighting so hard. It seemed like there something really bothering him."

"Maybe there was."Juvia whispered, hoping he wouldn't hear. She sighed before opening her eyes and noticed he was staring curiously at her.

"You know what it is."It wasn't a question, but she nodded anyways. She missed the glint of hope in his eyes as he considered the possibility that things weren't going so great in her new relationship with Lyon.

"He wasn't the only one fighting extra hard."Juvia replied, changing the subject and Gray avoided her eyes. Of course she would have noticed it. She always noticed important things when it came to him. That was one of the reasons why he loved her, she always payed attention when it came to him. That's how she was able to notice even the smallest things.

"Yeah, I needed to take care of some unfinished business. It feels great now that it's over."Gray told her while crossing his arms. That's when he noticed that something wasn't right, he felt something sticky on his hand. Upon retrieving it from his exposed chest, he noticed that it was tainted with blood.

"You're bleeding."Juvia's worried eyes studied him and she quickly noticed the wound on his shoulder. Gray had felt it sting when Lyon had sent his eagles, but hadn't put much thought into it.

"Oh, it's nothing."He waved off her concerned look, but she was unconvinced.

"Let me take a look."She crawled his way before he could say anything else and settled by his side. Her soft hands served the injury and she sighed in relief upon realizing it wasn't too serious.

"So, will I live?"He joked and she glared at him.

"Don't joke about that."She said firmly before turning her attention to her torn clothes. Gray tried his best to keep his eyes away from her overly exposed cleavage. "What are you doing?"He questioned when she ripped a large piece of her skirt.

"Well, Wendy isn't here now, so I won't take any changes with that wound."She replied and before he could protest, she moved, settling herself into a kneeling position between his legs. He drew in a sharp breath as she began carefully cleaning his injury, using a bit of her water magic.

All he could think about was how close she was and Gray had a hard time holding himself from doing something stupid. He had to remind himself that she was with Lyon and just because she was helping him doesn't mean he had any right to think about her in the ways he was thinking now. But it was hard, she was so close and her chest nearly pressed against his. He wondered if she was aware of the effect she was having on him.

"There, all cleared."Juvia said after a few minutes of awkward silence and she wrapped the pieces of her skirt in a firm grip around his shoulder before casting him a smile.

"Juvia."His voice was shaky and she looked at him in concern. Her right hand settled on his chest since his shoulder was injured while her left one had been placed on his other shoulder to keep her balance.

"What is it? Are you okay?"He stared into her big blue eyes and in that moment all rational thought left his mind. He didn't think about the fact that she was dating Lyon, that it was wrong and he would probably regret it later. All he could think about was how beautiful she looked even with the many injuries covering her body.

"You're so damn beautiful."He whispered and her eyes went wide once his hand touched her cheek. She looked confused and unsure, unlike Gray. He was sure of what he wanted and there was no stopping him now. He used his other arm to bring her closer and she squealed.

"Gray, what…"Her question died once his lips touched her in a passionate kiss. It was intense and desperate and Gray hoped that she would understand the meaning of it. He hoped that she would see that Lyon wasn't the only one who loved her and maybe change her mind. If only love was ever simple.

**So, thoughts? Did you enjoy my take on the battle? I hope it turned out to be just as intense and passionate as I wanted it to be. I wanted you to feel both Lyon and Gray's jealously and heartbreak and how it affected their fighting. Hope you liked my take on Chelia, poor girl's absolutely lost to what's going on there.**

**And did you like Juvia's reaction and her thoughts? Too bad she wasn't aware that Gray loved her and that's why he fought so hard.**

**And that ending, huh? Hope you liked it, I'm not so great at writing kissing scenes.**

**Lastly, what are your thoughts on Silver?** **Will he continue to stay in the shadows or will he find a way to warn Gray and Juvia? And what's truly his connection to Juvia? I advise you to check out the flashbacks from chapter 3 if you want to understand better the clues I gave you here regarding Silver and Juvia's connection. It will be exposed soon, but you might be able to figure it out yourselves by taking a second look at my clues.**

**Next chapter: All About Timing. More Gruvia, a bit of GaLe and we'll see the resolution to Seilah and Juvia's scene last chapter. It will come when we make it to 90 hits.**

_ **In order to spice things up, I've decided to propose a challenge. Whoever manages to complete it will receive a sneak peek of the most important Gruvia scene in this arc. I think you know which one I'm talking about.** _

**Soon we'll have the addition of another minor character deeply connected to Juvia and Gray. Your job is to guess who it is.**

**Here are the clues:**

**1-This character had a major impact in Juvia and Gray's relationship. They force Juvia to make a decision that hurts her and Gray immensely and almost destroys their relationship.**

**2-They are was deeply involved in the plot to erase all magic from the world. They were one of the keys for that to happen.**

**3- They're the reason why** **Gray suffers for over a decade over something that wasn't even true.**

**Since apparently the archive doesn't allow users to share messages, you could leave your email address in the comments so I can send it to you via email. If someone has an account on fanfiction.net you can also leave your username from there and I will send you a PM.**

**Good Luck!**


	6. All About Timing

**Hello, dear readers. Can I just say I am so happy this story has already reached over 100 hits? Thank you very much! :):)**

**I was a bit upset that no one tried to take the challenge, but guess in this site people don't usually comment the stories. Guess I'll have to get used to it.**

**Now, we're reaching my favorite part of the story so far and also the saddest one. The next few chapters will be hard for all the characters, this one is only the calm before the storm.**

**Since I've heard no complaints regarding the size of my chapters, I'll keep writing big ones.** **There are so many characters, so many important scenes that I can't write 2000 words chapters. It's not enough!**

**This chapter is pretty nice, but it's only a setup for what comes next. I think you'll be both happy and frustrated with it. The title gives a big clue to what it's about about. Oh, and be sure to listen to this song as well, it's amazing and so Gruvia! Happy Reading!**

* * *

Don't Deserve You-Plumb

You never give up

When I'm falling apart

Your arms are always open wide

And you're quick to forgive

When I make a mistake

You love me in the blink of an eye

I don't deserve your love

But you give it to me anyway

Can't get enough

You're everything I need

And when I walk away

Take off running and come right after me

It's what you do

And I don't deserve you

* * *

 

Juvia was caught off guard for a second. She couldn't believe what was happening, it felt like a dream. And boy, did she dream about this moment happening. Just as she was starting to believe it was the most unlikely possibility, here they were. Her and Gray. And he was kissing her, quite enthusiastically at that.

It wasn't long before she overcame the shock of having him kiss her and she relaxed. Her grip on his shoulder tightened as she tried to keep her balance despite feeling dizzy. It was much different from when she kissed Lyon a few days before. He hadn't made her feel so weak she could fall at any moment if it wasn't for her strong grip on his shoulder and Gray's arm holding her in place. Lyon hadn't ignited a fire within her that she has no idea was even there. His kiss wasn't as passionate, intense and so wonderful unlike anything she ever dreamed.

It wasn't the white haired man's fault, he just wasn't the one she really wanted to kiss. He wasn't the one who held her heart. And who she hoped one day she could hold his as well. Her hand on Gray's chest moved towards the spot where his heart was beating wildly. She wasn't aware at the moment, but it was beating for her. She felt his hands settling on her hair and he began caressing it ever so gently.

Soon air became a necessity and they were forced to pull apart. Juvia kept her hand on his shoulder while they attempted to regain their breaths. Her hair was a mess now, falling in waves on her back and shoulder and he didn't look any less messy. She was still having a hard time believing in what had happened and her mind was so fuzzy it was a miracle she was able to form a few coherent thoughts.

"I'm sorry."She turned to the man she loved with confusion. Why was he apologizing for kissing her? Did he somehow think she hadn't wanted him do to that?

"Why? Do you regret it?"Her heart started beating faster as she considered the possibility that he hadn't meant it, that it was just in the heat of the moment. She didn't want to believe it, but Gray had never given her any signs that he wanted to kiss her, so it was likely.

"If I say that I don't will you think I'm a terrible person?"His lack of answer left her even more confused.

"Why would I think that?"He looked genuinely taken aback by her comment and this time she noticed how hopeful he was. What was he hoping for?

"Come on, Juvia. Don't make me say it!"He looked deeply into her eyes, now his reflected only pain. Juvia had no idea what he wanted her to say, but it seemed as if Gray didn't actually want to hear it.

"Say what? What are your talking about?"He sighed and started messing with his hair, a habit she knew meant he was frustrated.

"Look, there's no point in hiding it. I know, okay!"He yelled and she was startled, stepping away from him so that they could sit more comfortably. He crossed his legs while she kneeled.

"Know what? Gray, you're not making sense!"She was starting to get angry as well.

"I know about you. And Lyon."Those words made her whole body freeze and her eyes widened. Did he know that they had kissed two days before? That wasn't possible, there was no one else at the restaurant, at least no one she knew. Who would have told him? Juvia started freaking out as she thought how Fairy Tail always had a way to discover things.

This was exactly what she had feared, having to discuss Lyon's kiss with him. She had hoped that she'd be able to keep it a secret from everyone, but somehow Gray had found out about it. She started to understand why he had been acting so childishly during their battle, he had probably been upset with both her and Lyon for hiding it. Juvia started feeling guilty.

"What?"She hated how shaky her voice was when she finally replied. His shoulders slumped and he took a deep breath.

"I knew it. I was hoping it wasn't true, but the fact that you're not denying it tells me all I need to know."It seemed as if Gray's whole world had fallen apart and that stubborn, hopeful part of her wondered if he was jealous that Lyon had kissed her. "I should have known it was only a matter of time before he got to you." Another sigh and his words left her beyond confused. However, her primary thought at the moment was to try to explain things. Hopefully he would be able to understand the situation and forgive her.

"Gray, I…."He didn't let her continue.

"I'm sorry for butting in, I'm sure you wished to keep it a secret between the two of you."There was so much pain in his voice that she could feel her heart shattering once again. God, if she had known that kissing Lyon would have led to so much heartbreak she would have never done it.

"At least let me explain."She begged Gray and he shook his head.

"There's no need for it. I understand."She felt relieved that he didn't appear to be so angry.

"Do you?"He nodded before taking a deep breath.

"I'm not mad at you, Juvia. I know very well that I have no right to be."He avoided her eyes for a moment and she got the feeling there was a misunderstanding there. "I can't blame you for moving on even though I hate the fact that Lyon was the one you chose to be with."

"Wait, what?!"Her eyes widened and she was about to tell him there was nothing else going on between her and Lyon and the kiss had been only an experiment, but there was no time.

They saw through the cameras the sabertooth logo being cast upon the sky and Sting appeared underneath it. "I'm ready Fairy Tai. Let's go! Come and get me!"He taunted and both of them sighed.

"We'll have to settle this later."Gray said and she nodded.

"Let me help you up."She told him and he let her even though her touch reminded him of what happened a few minutes before and it hurt. Knowing it wouldn't happen again anytime soon hurt him so much, even more since Lyon would be the one kissing her soon.

He couldn't bare to think about it, so he distracted himself with thoughts about Fairy Tail and the victory that would come soon. Thinking about Lucy being safe and winning the Games lifted his spirits.

* * *

 

They soon reached the main square where the other members of FT who were competing had already arrived. Sting was standing there, looking pleased.

"Now there's a sight. Being surrounded by heroes of my childhood isn't all that grand."He told them and Gajeel almost growled.

"Enough chit-chat. We didn't come here to make pals."As if they had planned it, Gray was the next to speak. He noticed that the three other members sent him sympathetic smiles and was reminded that there were cameras all over the city. Probably where him and Juvia had been fighting Lyon. He started panicking internally once he realized that many people must have seen his and Juvia's passionate kiss and the argument afterwards. Great, there was no way they would let him live it down now.

"We'll fight you one on one, so just pick somebody."Sting laughed in amusement.

"Why not all at once? I'm sure with those injuries you won't be able to do much."Juvia stepped away from his side, leaving Gray slightly unbalanced, but he was able to quickly recompose himself.

"Do not underestimate us. Ask your comrades."Her voice was firm and Gray couldn't help looking at her in pride. She was so strong, so fearsome when she wanted to be. She might even be as scary as Erza if she wasn't so chirper most of the time.

"I'm just trying to treat you with the respect you deserve."Sting replied before changing the subject. "You taught me something, well Natsu did. He taught me that sometimes emotions can make you stronger and more powerful. Well, I'm going to prove him right once I defeat you all with this new power I acquired."They looked at him curiously, so he explained.

"When I lost Lector, it brought me pain but it also made me stronger. I doubt even Natsu could stop me now."Looks like someone was sure of himself.

Sting started glowing and the FT members got closer to each other until they in standing in a row in front of Sting. They would never understand exactly what happened next, but soon the dragon slayer wasn't so cocky anymore and he fell to his knees before surrendering to them. It was over. They had won the games.

* * *

 

"It's over."Erza let out a relieved sigh before she sat down with her back against the fountain.

"Yeah, this feels good!"Laxus said while he joined her. They could hear the screams of celebration coming from their friends and it was amazing.

"So, Fullbuster, it looks like you and I need to have a talk."Gajeel told the black haired man while crossing his arms and glaring. Juvia stared between the two man curiously.

"Do we really need to?"Gray visibly gulped, he was sure that Gajeel wasn't too happy when he kissed Juvia after he had made it clear that he intended to give her space. And he definitely wasn't in the mood to get scolded and possibly beaten by the dragon slayer.

"Is everything okay, Gajeel?"Juvia asked her best friend and his expression softened.

"That depends on what stripper here has to say for himself."The iron dragon slayer replied and Gray gave Erza, who was watching their interactions with interest, a pleading look. Thankfully, she understood what he wanted and was quick to come to his rescue.

"Well, this will have to wait. Gray and I have something of the utmost importance to discuss."Gajeel narrowed his eyes, but even he wouldn't dare go against the great Titania.

"Fine, you can borrow him for now."He shrugged and Gray internally sighed in relief before joining Erza on the ground. Laxus was smart enough to move away from the competitors and he walked towards where a few Fairy Tail members were coming their way, probably to congratulate them.

"Nicely done, Laxus!"Bixlow congratulated the lightening dragon slayer while Freed was practically jumping with excitement.

"You were amazing! I knew you could handle it."He praised and Laxus smiled at them.

"Thanks, you guys. It was fun."Soon Evergreen came to join the group, she had been talking to Elfman in whispers while they assumed no one was watching them. The two other members of the Thunder Legion gave her knowing smirks and she simply glared at them before congratulating Laxus as well.

"Looks like there's someone here to talk to you."Juvia told Gajeel while they watched their friends antics. The iron dragon slayer saw the direction she was pointing and she smirked at the small blush on his face.

"Congratulations, you guys!"Levy said once she approached the duo. She was all smiles and Juvia was sure she was relieved that the games were over.

"Thanks, Levy."Juvia returned her bright smile and they shared a quick hug."I'll go talk to Cana and Lisanna."The water mage added quickly afterwards, knowing that Gajeel and Levy probably wanted to be alone.

"In a minute, first I need to have a word with you."She was surprised by Gajeel's words and looked at him in confusion.

"About what?"Levy immediately noticed that the two friends had something important to discuss, so she excused herself before either of them could say another word.

* * *

 

Once she was gone, they decided to find a more seclude place and so they went towards the river, far away from the rest of their friends. Thankfully, they weren't followed.

"Are you okay?"Gajeel asked once they were alone. His tone was unusually soft, one he only reserved for her and lately, Levy.

"I'm fine, why do you ask?"He had clearly been worried about her for the past two days and she had no idea why. It was starting to get on her nerves.

"You kissed stripper."He said bluntly and she blushed.

"Actually, he kissed me."She corrected and a dreamily look came to her face as she began replaying it in her head.

"Doesn't matter. I'm just confused to why you would do that when you've got something going on with mr. cocky."She raised an eyebrow and he quickly explained."The other one. What's his name? L-something."

"Lyon?" Juvia asked and he nodded. "What do you know about what's going on with him?"She started wondering it Gajeel had been the one who saw them kissing and maybe even told Gray about it. It was unlikely, she knew her best friend would never betray her trust like that. But still, she needed to consider all possibilities.

"I know you two kissed. Stripper thinks you are together or something." He shrugged once again and Juvia shook her head wildly.

"We're not together."She said firmly and Gajeel raised an eyebrow."Just because we kissed once doesn't mean we're together."

"Whatever you say. I was just wondering."He replied and there was silence between them for a while. She didn't know what else to say and he didn't want to keep talking about it.

"This craziness aside, are you sure you're ok?"She huffed in frustration, but he continued before she could answer. "Look, it was only a few days again when you told me that you were sensing their presence. And then there was the Naval Battle and I know something happened there for you to get distracted."

"I was wrong, there was no one here."Juvia repeated the words she had said to him so many times over the past two days. She was frustrated with how he didn't seem to accept them.

"Are you sure? Cause you looked pretty certain."He asked in concern and she smiled.

"Of course I'm sure. I was just being my usual paranoid self, besides, you know how I get in this time of the year."She told him and his suspicious expression faltered as he was reminded that the month of July was a hard one for her.

"So there's nothing wrong?"He wanted to confirm it.

"Nope. Well except for the fact that Gray thinks I'm dating Lyon. But solving this problem should't be too hard." He let out a relieved sigh and smiled as well.

"Guess I don't need to kick striper's ass after all."She was confused, but he just told her to forget about it.

"Let's go back, I'm sure Levy's excited to congratulate you on your victory."Juvia smirked once again at the glare he sent her way and she wrapped her arms around him and started pretty much dragging him towards the rest of their friends. The iron dragon slayer didn't complain, he never did when it came to Juvia and her crazy antics. After all, she was his best friend.

It was unfortunate how neither of them was aware that danger lied in the corner and with memories of her past gone once again, Juvia was clueless when it came to the dark future that awaited her.

* * *

 

_Two days before…_

"Why are you here?"Juvia asked as soon as Seilah stopped walking and the woman spoke without facing her.

"I have come here with a simple mission."She replied and the bluenette felt shivers down her spine. Whatever this mission was, it was trouble for her.

"I'm guessing I have something to do with it."Juvia stated and the woman finally turned to look at her. Her dark eyes were the same Juvia remembered from her nightmares, her face as impassive as ever, but there was a small smile now.

"Yes, indeed. It seems as if you're becoming quite a threat to my master's brilliant plan."Seilah replied simply and Juvia had a feeling she knew exactly who that master was.

"What plan?"She asked, already knowing that she wouldn't get a clear answer.

"As if I would tell you."The black haired woman rolled her eyes. "However, I will tell you one thing, Juvia Lockser. You have managed to impress me, and that doesn't happen much often."Juvia raised an eyebrow.

"And how exactly did I impress you?"She had a bad feeling about this meeting and she knew that she needed to leave as soon as possible, but something was gluing her to place.

"I assumed you were nothing special, specially in comparison to wizards such as Erza Scarlet and Natsu Dragneel."Upon seeing Juvia's surprised expression, she smiled again. "Yes, I know their names and what they are. Your friends have always been in my master's interest, so I took my time learning all I could about the enemy.

"The enemy? So you're planning on going after Fairy Tail!"Juvia accused her, all her instincts kicking in and she tried to move, but was unable to do so. That's when she realized something was trapping her there and her face paled.

"Not yet. But they will be eliminated soon and quite easily, I'm sure."Seilah looked confident and Juvia had a feeling she wasn't exaggerating. She could feel the power coming from the black haired woman and it was just off the charts. "I'm sure you'll be of much help in the matter. Now that I've seen you activate your second origin and perform such grand spells, I've finally began to understand why you were chosen."

"Chosen? To do what?"The bad feeling had increased a lot with Seilah's words and the mention Juvia would be 'of help'.

"You'll discover when it's time."The black haired woman said before approaching her and Juvia tried once again to move, to no avail. "Everything has its right time, but with your memories returning, the time to act is now."Juvia's eyes widened and she wondered how on earth this woman knew that her memories were coming back.

"How do you..."She started asking, but Seilah interrupted.

"We've been watching you for a long time."Her tone was dangerous and Juvia felt more scared than she had ever been.

"So are you going to kill me?"She asked while gulping. If she died now, she wouldn't be able to tell her friends about the threat these people posed and the fact that, whoever they were, they clearly worked for Zeref himself. She wouldn't be able to see her friends again, or Gray. Her heart hurt with he thought and she could feel tears streaming down her face. She wanted to say more, to beg for her life, but she found herself unable to do anything but watch as the woman approached her slowly.

"Humans are so boringly predictable."Seilah rolled her eyes before her face turned to a calm smile that chilled Juvia to the bone. "But worry not, dear, I didn't come here to kill you." By then the woman was right in front of her and Juvia closed her eyes, not wanting her face to be the last thing she would see. She felt a hand on her forehead and heard a few mumbled words she couldn't understand. It wasn't long before her body grew heavy and, though she tried to fight it, she fell unconscious within seconds. Seilah watched her handiwork for a few seconds before leaving with a smile. Her work was done and the threat was contained. Zeref would be happy.

* * *

"Thanks for the save, Erza."Gray thanked the red head and she smiled.

"No problem. I could see that Gajeel wasn't going to be nice and I think you've had enough stress for a lifetime these past few days."She replied gently and Gray sighed.

"I'm sure he was about to scold me for kissing Juvia right after I said that I would give her space."He told her and Erza looked at him curiously.

"She didn't pull back."It was a simple statement, but it made his heart beat faster with fear and hope at the same time.

"I know. I'm not sure if it's good news or not."She raised an eyebrow.

"Of course it's good news. It means she might still be in love with you."He shook his head.

"Even if she is, doesn't make any difference. She's with Lyon now."He reminded her and Erza's face softened.

"Doesn't mean he's the right man for her. I think Juvia realizes that, but she won't be sure until you tell her your feelings."She looked at him pointedly and Gray shook his head.

"I can't. That wouldn't be fair to him and, as much as he's a pain in the ass, he's sort of my brother. He deserves to be happy, so I can't interfere in their relationship now."

"It seems to me like you are making excuses not to tell her."Erza stated while crossing her arms and he looked at her indignantly.

"That's so not true! I'm just trying to be the better man here, like you said yourself I should."He looked pointedly at her and Erza shook her head while watching Juvia and Gajeel talking from afar.

"Tell me, do you think she's happy?"He followed her line of view and contemplated the bluenette. She was clearly unhappy with whatever they were discussing, but Gray hadn't seen any signs that she might have been unhappy for the past few days. She was during the fight, but that was most likely before she was pissed off by his childishness.

He felt ashamed when he looked back on the fight against Lyon and remembered how much of a jerk he was. No wonder Lyon had been able to steal her, at least he hadn't ignored her and then suddenly acted like a jealous boyfriend the minute another man approached her. "Gray?"Erza's voice thankfully interrupted his line of thought.

"I can't tell."The red head sighed before placing a hand on his shoulder and turning his body towards her.

"You know her better than anyone. Well, perhaps except for Gajeel. So tell me, do you think that she's happy with Lyon?"She looked into his eyes firmly.

"I don't know. I think…I want to believe she's not, but that's only because I love her."It was the first time he said these words out loud and there was silence between them for a few minutes. His gaze went back to Juvia as she and Gajeel approached their group of friends, who had thankfully left Gray and Erza alone.

"Go! Talk to her!"Erza encouraged while lightly pushing him. Gray took in a deep breath before walking towards where she was now with Gajeel and Levy.

"Would you do me a favor, Levy?"The water mage was asking her friend once he approached them.

"Sure. What is it?"The petit girl asked curiously.

"Can you take a look at Gajeel's injuries? He's being really stubborn about it, but I think he would allow at least you to take a look."Juvia smirked when the other girl blushed and Gajeel looked stunned.

"I…Well, I…"Levy stammered and Juvia patted Gajeel's back before replying happily.

"I'll leave you two to it. I advise you to take care of the worse one on his leg first!" Gajeel and Levy stared at her in astonishment while she smiled innocently at them. "Oh, and Gajeel, please be nice!"Juvia added before she turned her back to them and took a step, almost bumping into Gray if he hadn't held his hands in front of him to prevent it.

"Oh My Gosh, I'm so sorry!"Gray started freaking out once he realized that by extending his hands, he accidentally collided them with her chest. For a few seconds he stared in horror at the scene before he quickly retracted his hands, blushing.

"It's… Hmm….It's fine."Juvia stuttered, blushing as well. They ignored the looks a few friends sent them, specially Cana and Lisanna's identical smirks.

"Can we…talk?"Gray asked after he was able to recompose himself and she nodded eagerly.

"Yes. Let's take a walk along the river."She suggested and before he could understand it, she had already stepped away. He followed her while preparing himself for an unpleasant conversation.

> * * *

_Meanwhile, at the castle…_

Natsu, Lucy, Wendy, Mirajane, the exceeds, Yukino and Colonel Arcadius were scattered across the dining room as they decided to rest for a bit before making their next move. They had been walking for a while so the break was more than needed.

It had been hours since Natsu, Mira and Wendy had stormed into the castle with the objective of saving Lucy and a lot had happened since then. First they had freed the blonde and Yukino, but were soon thrown into a huge dungeon called the Palace of Prediction. There, they had encountered a group of executioners who had tried very hard to kill them. Thankfully, they had managed to defeat their opponents and left the dungeon mostly unharmed. It was luck that Colonel Arcadius showed up with Lucy and Yukino's celestial keys so they were able to put up a good fight against the executioners.

After that they tried to leave the dungeon and had arrived at a huge door, but were interrupted by the appearance of a hooded person they soon learned was Lucy. Well, a version of her. Future version, as she told them right before she passed out. So Natsu had carried the unconscious girl through the castle until they reached the room they were now in.

"Look, she's waking up."Mira called everyone's attention as Natsu and Lucy were in the middle of a make-out session by the window while Wendy was conversing with the exceeds.

"Hey, Lucy. Are you feeling any better?"Happy asked as he walked towards future Lucy. She looked around in confusion while blinking.

"Where are we?"Panther Lily answered that one.

"Not sure."Mira was quick to add.

"Looks like the castle dining hall."

"So we're still inside the castle."Future Lucy said while putting a hand to her forehead.

"From what I remember last time, after we escaped the Palace of Prediction, we ended up being caught by the Royal Army again. I was hoping I could warn you before it happened again, but it seems as if luck abandoned me."Her last words had Yukino looking away and biting her lip, she understood all too well what it was like to bring misfortune to everyone around her.

"Don't worry about it, at least you managed to find us."Present Lucy reassured her and the other one smiled sadly.

"Yeah, but now we're gonna be stuck here until it happens."They stared at her in confusion and anticipation.

"It? What are you talking about?"Natsu asked her and future Lucy avoided their eyes. She was shaking a bit and they knew whatever 'it' was, had her terrified. And that scared them as well.

"The reason why I came back here. I wanted to warn you about it, though I fear there isn't much we can do to prevent this from happening."Future Lucy paused and took a deep breath.

"Our worst nightmares are going to came to life. A swarm of over 10.000 dragons will attack the kingdom. The city will burn, the castle will fall and countless lives will be lost." Everyone stared at her wide-eyed and absolutely terrified.

"Shit! We are so dead!"Natsu started freaking out and running around, same as Happy. Mira and Wendy looked at future Lucy as if hoping she would tell them it was all a joke. Present Lucy was stuck in place, paralyzed by fear.

"No. It can't be!"She felt her knees giving in and she would have fallen if Loki hadn't caught her in time.

"Don't worry, Lucy, your night in shining armor is always here."He told her charmingly and Natsu suddenly stopped.

"Hey! Take your hands off my girlfriend!"The orange haired man looked in confusion between the dragon slayer and celestial spirit.

"Wait, what?"He asked and a blushing Lucy removed his arms from around her as she managed to stand.

"You don't have to keep announcing it, you know?"She told her boyfriend firmly, though she was smiling. Natsu wasted no time in coming her way and wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

"Now that our friends know, I want the world to know that you are mine."He replied smoothly and Carla shook her head in disapproval.

"And you're an idiot"Lucy replied before hitting him on the shoulder and he stepped away while rubbing it. "But you're my idiot."She added with a light smile and his face lightened up.

"Hell yeah!"He replied excitedly and Lucy shook her head before wrapping her arms around his neck and he quickly wrapped his own around her waist. They were facing the possibility of doom and were both stressed, so nothing better than the knowledge that at least they were together to make them relax a bit.

"Okay, lovebirds, let's focus."Loki called them once the couple started kissing and they pulled apart, although their arms were still wrapped around each other.

"So, what can we do?"Wendy asked them and Natsu stepped away from Lucy before answering determinately.

"I know what we can't do. We can't just it around while it happens. We gotta fight them."Everyone stared at him like he was crazy.

"You're kidding, right?"Lucy asked right before Happy butted in.

"We can't fight against that many dragons!"He screamed and Future Lucy brought their attention back to her.

"You mean, you actually believe me?"She looked stunned and they stared at her in confusion.

"Wait, you were lying?"Natsu asked, wide-eyed. She shook her head vigorously.

"No, I would never lie to you. I'm just surprised, that's all. The story is so absurd, I wouldn't blame you if you didn't believe me." She answered honestly and they all smiled.

"I would never doubt anything you said, Lucy."Natsu said while staring between his girlfriend and her future self. The latter smiled while blushing a bit while the first came closer to him and wrapped her arms around his own.

"This is one of those times when I remember why I fell in love with you."Lucy told him while staring deep into his eyes and Natsu's smile was bigger than ever.

"I know. I'm awesome, aren't I?"He joked and she playfully punched him on the shoulder.

"Stop ruining the moment!"She told him firmly and their friends laughed.

"Oh, you two are just so adorable and hilarious!"Mira told them between laughs and future Lucy had a nostalgic smile on her face.

"I remember how carefree we used to be, it was nice. But after the attack and so many horrible things happened… We just didn't have any reasons to smile anymore." She looked down and Present Lucy gave her a confident smile.

"Don't worry, we'll do everything we can to stop that from happening."She told her future self while Natsu smiled proudly.

"Of course! And we'll get the chance to fight dragons while doing that. So awesome!"They rolled their eyes at his words, but he was right. This would be a good way to test their strength, if they survived that is. But first they needed to get out of the castle so that they could warn the others. Easier said than done.

* * *

 

_With Gray and Juvia..._

Once they were out of their friends' earshot, he spoke again.

"So, about that thing with Lyon…"She interrupted him.

"I understand that you are under the assumption that we are…together."She said the last word slowly while frowning.

"The assumption?"He stopped walking before giving her a confused look.

"Gray, Lyon and I aren't dating."She said firmly after sighing and he looked at her dumbly.

"You're not?"She shook her head vigorously before resuming her walking and he accompanied her.

"No. We kissed once, but it didn't lead to anything. It only served to prove that nothing could ever happen between us."She looked at the river and he could feel his heart beating faster with hope. Could it be that he had misunderstood the situation?

"So there's nothing else going on between the two of you."She confirmed with a nod.

"No, we're just friends, at least we hope we still are. You saw how upset he was earlier today."She told him and it was his turn to nod.

"So that's why he was so mad at me."He finally understood it and he was ashamed of the relief he felt with this new information, even if he knew it meant Lyon was heartbroken.

"He's jealous. He knows that I could never love him, not when I'm still in love with you."He was caught off guard by her blunt confession and couldn't help but to laugh.

"What's so funny?"She was confused and a bit upset that he was laughing at her. That's certainly not the reaction she had expected to her confession. Usually he would just pretend she never said it and change the subject. Juvia was starting to believe that there would never be a day when he would reply positively when she told him his feelings and that thought made her heart hurt.

"You. I don't think I'll ever understand how you can be so open about your feelings, just throwing them out there without fear."Gray replied, looking at her intensely and she looked away once again.

"That's not true."She protested firmly. Once he gave her a confused look, she clarified. "I am afraid, every single time. I just know better than to expect a positive response by now. So it doesn't hurt so much anymore."She kept her eyes trained on the river, not wanting him to see the power he had over her. She was unaware that her words had a great effect on him. As Gray remembered many times in which she had revealed her feelings to him, leaving no doubt that she did love him, he made a decision. During times when he had acted indifferently or ignored her confessions, but not now. Not this time.

"Juvia…"He started, but was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Master Makarov.

"Master? Is something wrong?"Juvia asked upon noticing the serious look on his face.

"I'm really sorry to interrupt, but the king has requested the presence of all guild wizards at the main square. He said it's urgent."The young couple nodded, understanding that the situation required their full attention.

"Thanks for letting us know. We'll be there soon."Gray told him and it was master's turn to nod in understanding. Makarov hadn't heard much, but he could tell this was an important conversation as well.

"The rest of the guild is waiting. Don't take too long."He warned them before leaving Juvia and Gray alone.

"Juvia."Gray caught her attention and she looked at him. He saw her sigh and before he could understand what was happening, she had erased the distance between them. She had a determined look upon her face and he was about to question her, when she grabbed his head and kissed him. Intensely. Passionately. Just like he had kissed her before.

It took him a few seconds of surprise before he responded by wrapping one arm around her waist and settling the other on her hair. He was confused to why she was kissing him instead of letting him tell her what he needed, but wouldn't complain about it.

The kiss ended shortly when Juvia pulled apart, letting his face go and removing his hand from her waist. They were both breathless and a bit blushed.

"What was that for?"He asked, a little dazed.

"I have really bad feeling about what's gonna happen, so I needed something good to focus on later."She replied and he frowned at her words. He couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked while he watched her attempt to fix her hair and Gray wanted to tell her again. He wanted to tell her everything that he had been holding for the past few days. He needed to.

"Juvia, I really need to…"She interrupted him by shaking her head.

"Not now, Gray. I can't deal with this now."Juvia didn't know what he wanted to tell her, but she knew that her fragile heart couldn't take another rejection at the moment. She sensed that a battle was coming and if she wanted to stay focused, she needed to have her mind clean. It wasn't the right time to think about Gray, Lyon and the mess they had gotten themselves into. So she sighed deeply before stepping away from him. She didn't see the lost look on his face when she turned her back on him and started walking in the direction of the main square.

The ice mage stood still by the river, confused and frustrated. Why couldn't he find the right time to tell his feelings for her? Why did it have to be so hard?

"Come on, master said we shouldn't take too long."Juvia looked back briefly, her heart hurting with how lost and pained he looked. She wanted to ask him about it, to let him tell her what he wanted, but they couldn't now.

Gray sighed before he started following her. He was even more sure that fate would find a twisted way to damage their relationship, specially now that he knew she was available and still in love with him.

"Please let me be wrong."He prayed to whatever gods may be listening that something terrible wouldn't happen and him and Juvia would be okay. That they would finish this conversation later tonight, he would confess his feelings and they would get together. He hoped that they would be happy.

Somehow, there was a part of him that knew the truth. There would be no later. Not for them.

So, thoughts, anyone? Did you understand the chapter title? Poor Gray, he just never has a chance to tell her the truth. Guess it's bad karma.

Don't worry, a confession will come soon and it will be intense, passionate and romantic. I'm sure you'll be very pleased with how I chose for him to tell her his feelings. For now, just have faith that these two will be happy in time. We still got two kisses only in this chapter, so I hope you're happy with that.

Did you enjoy the Gajuvia and GrayXErza friendship? I think someone requested more scenes with the first pair, so there you go. And there's Erza, always pushing Gray to do the right thing. I just love to portray her as the cupid! She needs some loving too, don't you think? Jellal is coming soon, so Jerza fans, be ready for some romance!

NaLu fas, are you happy?

Lastly, what did you think of the Juvia X Seilah talk? Many clues there, so pay good attention.

Next chapter: Never See The Sun Again. You know what's coming. The most important Gruvia scene of this entire arc and possibly the whole anime. No more needs to be said. Just be prepared to get your hearts broken again.

 

For those who forgot about it, next chapter we'll have the addition of another minor character deeply connected to Juvia and Gray. Your job is to guess who it is.

Here are the hints I gave you:

1- This character forces Juvia to make a decision that hurts her and Gray immensely and almost destroys their relationship.

2-They are the reason that Gray spent over 10 years suffering for something that, in the end, wasn't even true.

3-This character was deeply involved in the plot to erase all magic from the world. They were one of the keys for that to happen.

GOOD LUCK! REMEMBER, LAST CHANCE TO GUESS IT! Also, if you have any requests for characters and couples you'd like to see, tell me! I'm always willing to listen!

Chapter 7 should come by Friday, but I can try by Wednesday if this one gets enough reviews. It's up to you. I won't ask for 5 again since I realize we can't reach that high. Think we can make it to 4 this time? Pretty please? For Gruvia!

Don't Deserve You-Plumb

You never give up

When I'm falling apart

Your arms are always open wide

And you're quick to forgive

When I make a mistake

You love me in the blink of an eye

I don't deserve your love

But you give it to me anyway

Can't get enough

You're everything I need

And when I walk away

Take off running and come right after me

It's what you do

And I don't deserve you

Juvia was caught off guard for a second. She couldn't believe what was happening, it felt like a dream. And boy, did she dream about this moment happening. Just as she was starting to believe it was the most unlikely possibility, here they were. Her and Gray. And he was kissing her, quite enthusiastically at that.

It wasn't long before she overcame the shock of having him kiss her and she relaxed. Her grip on his shoulder tightened as she tried to keep her balance despite feeling dizzy. It was much different from when she kissed Lyon a few days before. He hadn't made her feel so weak she could fall at any moment if it wasn't for her strong grip on his shoulder and Gray's arm holding her in place. Lyon hadn't ignited a fire within her that she has no idea was even there. His kiss wasn't as passionate, intense and so wonderful unlike anything she ever dreamed.

It wasn't the white haired man's fault, he just wasn't the one she really wanted to kiss. He wasn't the one who held her heart. And who she hoped one day she could hold his as well. Her hand on Gray's chest moved towards the spot where his heart was beating wildly. She wasn't aware at the moment, but it was beating for her. She felt his hands settling on her hair and he began caressing it ever so gently.

Soon air became a necessity and they were forced to pull apart. Juvia kept her hand on his shoulder while they attempted to regain their breaths. Her hair was a mess now, falling in waves on her back and shoulder and he didn't look any less messy. She was still having a hard time believing in what had happened and her mind was so fuzzy it was a miracle she was able to form a few coherent thoughts.

"I'm sorry."She turned to the man she loved with confusion. Why was he apologizing for kissing her? Did he somehow think she hadn't wanted him do to that?

"Why? Do you regret it?"Her heart started beating faster as she considered the possibility that he hadn't meant it, that it was just in the heat of the moment. She didn't want to believe it, but Gray had never given her any signs that he wanted to kiss her, so it was likely.

"If I say that I don't will you think I'm a terrible person?"His lack of answer left her even more confused.

"Why would I think that?"He looked genuinely taken aback by her comment and this time she noticed how hopeful he was. What was he hoping for?

"Come on, Juvia. Don't make me say it!"He looked deeply into her eyes, now his reflected only pain. Juvia had no idea what he wanted her to say, but it seemed as if Gray didn't actually want to hear it.

"Say what? What are your talking about?"He sighed and started messing with his hair, a habit she knew meant he was frustrated.

"Look, there's no point in hiding it. I know, okay!"He yelled and she was startled, stepping away from him so that they could sit more comfortably. He crossed his legs while she kneeled.

"Know what? Gray, you're not making sense!"She was starting to get angry as well.

"I know about you. And Lyon."Those words made her whole body freeze and her eyes widened. Did he know that they had kissed two days before? That wasn't possible, there was no one else at the restaurant, at least no one she knew. Who would have told him? Juvia started freaking out as she thought how Fairy Tail always had a way to discover things.

This was exactly what she had feared, having to discuss Lyon's kiss with him. She had hoped that she'd be able to keep it a secret from everyone, but somehow Gray had found out about it. She started to understand why he had been acting so childishly during their battle, he had probably been upset with both her and Lyon for hiding it. Juvia started feeling guilty.

"What?"She hated how shaky her voice was when she finally replied. His shoulders slumped and he took a deep breath.

"I knew it. I was hoping it wasn't true, but the fact that you're not denying it tells me all I need to know."It seemed as if Gray's whole world had fallen apart and that stubborn, hopeful part of her wondered if he was jealous that Lyon had kissed her. "I should have known it was only a matter of time before he got to you." Another sigh and his words left her beyond confused. However, her primary thought at the moment was to try to explain things. Hopefully he would be able to understand the situation and forgive her.

"Gray, I…."He didn't let her continue.

"I'm sorry for butting in, I'm sure you wished to keep it a secret between the two of you."There was so much pain in his voice that she could feel her heart shattering once again. God, if she had known that kissing Lyon would have led to so much heartbreak she would have never done it.

"At least let me explain."She begged Gray and he shook his head.

"There's no need for it. I understand."She felt relieved that he didn't appear to be so angry.

"Do you?"He nodded before taking a deep breath.

"I'm not mad at you, Juvia. I know very well that I have no right to be."He avoided her eyes for a moment and she got the feeling there was a misunderstanding there. "I can't blame you for moving on even though I hate the fact that Lyon was the one you chose to be with."

"Wait, what?!"Her eyes widened and she was about to tell him there was nothing else going on between her and Lyon and the kiss had been only an experiment, but there was no time.

They saw through the cameras the sabertooth logo being cast upon the sky and Sting appeared underneath it. "I'm ready Fairy Tai. Let's go! Come and get me!"He taunted and both of them sighed.

"We'll have to settle this later."Gray said and she nodded.

"Let me help you up."She told him and he let her even though her touch reminded him of what happened a few minutes before and it hurt. Knowing it wouldn't happen again anytime soon hurt him so much, even more since Lyon would be the one kissing her soon.

He couldn't bare to think about it, so he distracted himself with thoughts about Fairy Tail and the victory that would come soon. Thinking about Lucy being safe and winning the Games lifted his spirits.

They soon reached the main square where the other members of FT who were competing had already arrived. Sting was standing there, looking pleased.

"Now there's a sight. Being surrounded by heroes of my childhood isn't all that grand."He told them and Gajeel almost growled.

"Enough chit-chat. We didn't come here to make pals."As if they had planned it, Gray was the next to speak. He noticed that the three other members sent him sympathetic smiles and was reminded that there were cameras all over the city. Probably where him and Juvia had been fighting Lyon. He started panicking internally once he realized that many people must have seen his and Juvia's passionate kiss and the argument afterwards. Great, there was no way they would let him live it down now.

"We'll fight you one on one, so just pick somebody."Sting laughed in amusement.

"Why not all at once? I'm sure with those injuries you won't be able to do much."Juvia stepped away from his side, leaving Gray slightly unbalanced, but he was able to quickly recompose himself.

"Do not underestimate us. Ask your comrades."Her voice was firm and Gray couldn't help looking at her in pride. She was so strong, so fearsome when she wanted to be. She might even be as scary as Erza if she wasn't so chirper most of the time.

"I'm just trying to treat you with the respect you deserve."Sting replied before changing the subject. "You taught me something, well Natsu did. He taught me that sometimes emotions can make you stronger and more powerful. Well, I'm going to prove him right once I defeat you all with this new power I acquired."They looked at him curiously, so he explained.

"When I lost Lector, it brought me pain but it also made me stronger. I doubt even Natsu could stop me now."Looks like someone was sure of himself.

Sting started glowing and the FT members got closer to each other until they in standing in a row in front of Sting. They would never understand exactly what happened next, but soon the dragon slayer wasn't so cocky anymore and he fell to his knees before surrendering to them. It was over. They had won the games.

"It's over."Erza let out a relieved sigh before she sat down with her back against the fountain.

"Yeah, this feels good!"Laxus said while he joined her. They could hear the screams of celebration coming from their friends and it was amazing.

"So, Fullbuster, it looks like you and I need to have a talk."Gajeel told the black haired man while crossing his arms and glaring. Juvia stared between the two man curiously.

"Do we really need to?"Gray visibly gulped, he was sure that Gajeel wasn't too happy when he kissed Juvia after he had made it clear that he intended to give her space. And he definitely wasn't in the mood to get scolded and possibly beaten by the dragon slayer.

"Is everything okay, Gajeel?"Juvia asked her best friend and his expression softened.

"That depends on what stripper here has to say for himself."The iron dragon slayer replied and Gray gave Erza, who was watching their interactions with interest, a pleading look. Thankfully, she understood what he wanted and was quick to come to his rescue.

"Well, this will have to wait. Gray and I have something of the utmost importance to discuss."Gajeel narrowed his eyes, but even he wouldn't dare go against the great Titania.

"Fine, you can borrow him for now."He shrugged and Gray internally sighed in relief before joining Erza on the ground. Laxus was smart enough to move away from the competitors and he walked towards where a few Fairy Tail members were coming their way, probably to congratulate them.

"Nicely done, Laxus!"Bixlow congratulated the lightening dragon slayer while Freed was practically jumping with excitement.

"You were amazing! I knew you could handle it."He praised and Laxus smiled at them.

"Thanks, you guys. It was fun."Soon Evergreen came to join the group, she had been talking to Elfman in whispers while they assumed no one was watching them. The two other members of the Thunder Legion gave her knowing smirks and she simply glared at them before congratulating Laxus as well.

"Looks like there's someone here to talk to you."Juvia told Gajeel while they watched their friends antics. The iron dragon slayer saw the direction she was pointing and she smirked at the small blush on his face.

"Congratulations, you guys!"Levy said once she approached the duo. She was all smiles and Juvia was sure she was relieved that the games were over.

"Thanks, Levy."Juvia returned her bright smile and they shared a quick hug."I'll go talk to Cana and Lisanna."The water mage added quickly afterwards, knowing that Gajeel and Levy probably wanted to be alone.

"In a minute, first I need to have a word with you."She was surprised by Gajeel's words and looked at him in confusion.

"About what?"Levy immediately noticed that the two friends had something important to discuss, so she excused herself before either of them could say another word.

Once she was gone, they decided to find a more seclude place and so they went towards the river, far away from the rest of their friends. Thankfully, they weren't followed.

"Are you okay?"Gajeel asked once they were alone. His tone was unusually soft, one he only reserved for her and lately, Levy.

"I'm fine, why do you ask?"He had clearly been worried about her for the past two days and she had no idea why. It was starting to get on her nerves.

"You kissed stripper."He said bluntly and she blushed.

"Actually, he kissed me."She corrected and a dreamily look came to her face as she began replaying it in her head.

"Doesn't matter. I'm just confused to why you would do that when you've got something going on with mr. cocky."She raised an eyebrow and he quickly explained."The other one. What's his name? L-something."

"Lyon?" Juvia asked and he nodded. "What do you know about what's going on with him?"She started wondering it Gajeel had been the one who saw them kissing and maybe even told Gray about it. It was unlikely, she knew her best friend would never betray her trust like that. But still, she needed to consider all possibilities.

"I know you two kissed. Stripper thinks you are together or something." He shrugged once again and Juvia shook her head wildly.

"We're not together."She said firmly and Gajeel raised an eyebrow."Just because we kissed once doesn't mean we're together."

"Whatever you say. I was just wondering."He replied and there was silence between them for a while. She didn't know what else to say and he didn't want to keep talking about it.

"This craziness aside, are you sure you're ok?"She huffed in frustration, but he continued before she could answer. "Look, it was only a few days again when you told me that you were sensing their presence. And then there was the Naval Battle and I know something happened there for you to get distracted."

"I was wrong, there was no one here."Juvia repeated the words she had said to him so many times over the past two days. She was frustrated with how he didn't seem to accept them.

"Are you sure? Cause you looked pretty certain."He asked in concern and she smiled.

"Of course I'm sure. I was just being my usual paranoid self, besides, you know how I get in this time of the year."She told him and his suspicious expression faltered as he was reminded that the month of July was a hard one for her.

"So there's nothing wrong?"He wanted to confirm it.

"Nope. Well except for the fact that Gray thinks I'm dating Lyon. But solving this problem should't be too hard." He let out a relieved sigh and smiled as well.

"Guess I don't need to kick striper's ass after all."She was confused, but he just told her to forget about it.

"Let's go back, I'm sure Levy's excited to congratulate you on your victory."Juvia smirked once again at the glare he sent her way and she wrapped her arms around him and started pretty much dragging him towards the rest of their friends. The iron dragon slayer didn't complain, he never did when it came to Juvia and her crazy antics. After all, she was his best friend.

It was unfortunate how neither of them was aware that danger lied in the corner and with memories of her past gone once again, Juvia was clueless when it came to the dark future that awaited her.

Two days before…

"Why are you here?"Juvia asked as soon as Seilah stopped walking and the woman spoke without facing her.

"I have come here with a simple mission."She replied and the bluenette felt shivers down her spine. Whatever this mission was, it was trouble for her.

"I'm guessing I have something to do with it."Juvia stated and the woman finally turned to look at her. Her dark eyes were the same Juvia remembered from her nightmares, her face as impassive as ever, but there was a small smile now.

"Yes, indeed. It seems as if you're becoming quite a threat to my master's brilliant plan."Seilah replied simply and Juvia had a feeling she knew exactly who that master was.

"What plan?"She asked, already knowing that she wouldn't get a clear answer.

"As if I would tell you."The black haired woman rolled her eyes. "However, I will tell you one thing, Juvia Lockser. You have managed to impress me, and that doesn't happen much often."Juvia raised an eyebrow.

"And how exactly did I impress you?"She had a bad feeling about this meeting and she knew that she needed to leave as soon as possible, but something was gluing her to place.

"I assumed you were nothing special, specially in comparison to wizards such as Erza Scarlet and Natsu Dragneel."Upon seeing Juvia's surprised expression, she smiled again. "Yes, I know their names and what they are. Your friends have always been in my master's interest, so I took my time learning all I could about the enemy.

"The enemy? So you're planning on going after Fairy Tail!"Juvia accused her, all her instincts kicking in and she tried to move, but was unable to do so. That's when she realized something was trapping her there and her face paled.

"Not yet. But they will be eliminated soon and quite easily, I'm sure."Seilah looked confident and Juvia had a feeling she wasn't exaggerating. She could feel the power coming from the black haired woman and it was just off the charts. "I'm sure you'll be of much help in the matter. Now that I've seen you activate your second origin and perform such grand spells, I've finally began to understand why you were chosen."

"Chosen? To do what?"The bad feeling had increased a lot with Seilah's words and the mention Juvia would be 'of help'.

"You'll discover when it's time."The black haired woman said before approaching her and Juvia tried once again to move, to no avail. "Everything has its right time, but with your memories returning, the time to act is now."Juvia's eyes widened and she wondered how on earth this woman knew that her memories were coming back.

"How do you..."She started asking, but Seilah interrupted.

"We've been watching you for a long time."Her tone was dangerous and Juvia felt more scared than she had ever been.

"So are you going to kill me?"She asked while gulping. If she died now, she wouldn't be able to tell her friends about the threat these people posed and the fact that, whoever they were, they clearly worked for Zeref himself. She wouldn't be able to see her friends again, or Gray. Her heart hurt with he thought and she could feel tears streaming down her face. She wanted to say more, to beg for her life, but she found herself unable to do anything but watch as the woman approached her slowly.

"Humans are so boringly predictable."Seilah rolled her eyes before her face turned to a calm smile that chilled Juvia to the bone. "But worry not, dear, I didn't come here to kill you." By then the woman was right in front of her and Juvia closed her eyes, not wanting her face to be the last thing she would see. She felt a hand on her forehead and heard a few mumbled words she couldn't understand. It wasn't long before her body grew heavy and, though she tried to fight it, she fell unconscious within seconds. Seilah watched her handiwork for a few seconds before leaving with a smile. Her work was done and the threat was contained. Zeref would be happy.

"Thanks for the save, Erza."Gray thanked the red head and she smiled.

"No problem. I could see that Gajeel wasn't going to be nice and I think you've had enough stress for a lifetime these past few days."She replied gently and Gray sighed.

"I'm sure he was about to scold me for kissing Juvia right after I said that I would give her space."He told her and Erza looked at him curiously.

"She didn't pull back."It was a simple statement, but it made his heart beat faster with fear and hope at the same time.

"I know. I'm not sure if it's good news or not."She raised an eyebrow.

"Of course it's good news. It means she might still be in love with you."He shook his head.

"Even if she is, doesn't make any difference. She's with Lyon now."He reminded her and Erza's face softened.

"Doesn't mean he's the right man for her. I think Juvia realizes that, but she won't be sure until you tell her your feelings."She looked at him pointedly and Gray shook his head.

"I can't. That wouldn't be fair to him and, as much as he's a pain in the ass, he's sort of my brother. He deserves to be happy, so I can't interfere in their relationship now."

"It seems to me like you are making excuses not to tell her."Erza stated while crossing her arms and he looked at her indignantly.

"That's so not true! I'm just trying to be the better man here, like you said yourself I should."He looked pointedly at her and Erza shook her head while watching Juvia and Gajeel talking from afar.

"Tell me, do you think she's happy?"He followed her line of view and contemplated the bluenette. She was clearly unhappy with whatever they were discussing, but Gray hadn't seen any signs that she might have been unhappy for the past few days. She was during the fight, but that was most likely before she was pissed off by his childishness.

He felt ashamed when he looked back on the fight against Lyon and remembered how much of a jerk he was. No wonder Lyon had been able to steal her, at least he hadn't ignored her and then suddenly acted like a jealous boyfriend the minute another man approached her. "Gray?"Erza's voice thankfully interrupted his line of thought.

"I can't tell."The red head sighed before placing a hand on his shoulder and turning his body towards her.

"You know her better than anyone. Well, perhaps except for Gajeel. So tell me, do you think that she's happy with Lyon?"She looked into his eyes firmly.

"I don't know. I think…I want to believe she's not, but that's only because I love her."It was the first time he said these words out loud and there was silence between them for a few minutes. His gaze went back to Juvia as she and Gajeel approached their group of friends, who had thankfully left Gray and Erza alone.

"Go! Talk to her!"Erza encouraged while lightly pushing him. Gray took in a deep breath before walking towards where she was now with Gajeel and Levy.

"Would you do me a favor, Levy?"The water mage was asking her friend once he approached them.

"Sure. What is it?"The petit girl asked curiously.

"Can you take a look at Gajeel's injuries? He's being really stubborn about it, but I think he would allow at least you to take a look."Juvia smirked when the other girl blushed and Gajeel looked stunned.

"I…Well, I…"Levy stammered and Juvia patted Gajeel's back before replying happily.

"I'll leave you two to it. I advise you to take care of the worse one on his leg first!" Gajeel and Levy stared at her in astonishment while she smiled innocently at them. "Oh, and Gajeel, please be nice!"Juvia added before she turned her back to them and took a step, almost bumping into Gray if he hadn't held his hands in front of him to prevent it.

"Oh My Gosh, I'm so sorry!"Gray started freaking out once he realized that by extending his hands, he accidentally collided them with her chest. For a few seconds he stared in horror at the scene before he quickly retracted his hands, blushing.

"It's… Hmm….It's fine."Juvia stuttered, blushing as well. They ignored the looks a few friends sent them, specially Cana and Lisanna's identical smirks.

"Can we…talk?"Gray asked after he was able to recompose himself and she nodded eagerly.

"Yes. Let's take a walk along the river."She suggested and before he could understand it, she had already stepped away. He followed her while preparing himself for an unpleasant conversation.

Meanwhile, at the castle…

Natsu, Lucy, Wendy, Mirajane, the exceeds, Yukino and Colonel Arcadius were scattered across the dining room as they decided to rest for a bit before making their next move. They had been walking for a while so the break was more than needed.

It had been hours since Natsu, Mira and Wendy had stormed into the castle with the objective of saving Lucy and a lot had happened since then. First they had freed the blonde and Yukino, but were soon thrown into a huge dungeon called the Palace of Prediction. There, they had encountered a group of executioners who had tried very hard to kill them. Thankfully, they had managed to defeat their opponents and left the dungeon mostly unharmed. It was luck that Colonel Arcadius showed up with Lucy and Yukino's celestial keys so they were able to put up a good fight against the executioners.

After that they tried to leave the dungeon and had arrived at a huge door, but were interrupted by the appearance of a hooded person they soon learned was Lucy. Well, a version of her. Future version, as she told them right before she passed out. So Natsu had carried the unconscious girl through the castle until they reached the room they were now in.

"Look, she's waking up."Mira called everyone's attention as Natsu and Lucy were in the middle of a make-out session by the window while Wendy was conversing with the exceeds.

"Hey, Lucy. Are you feeling any better?"Happy asked as he walked towards future Lucy. She looked around in confusion while blinking.

"Where are we?"Panther Lily answered that one.

"Not sure."Mira was quick to add.

"Looks like the castle dining hall."

"So we're still inside the castle."Future Lucy said while putting a hand to her forehead.

"From what I remember last time, after we escaped the Palace of Prediction, we ended up being caught by the Royal Army again. I was hoping I could warn you before it happened again, but it seems as if luck abandoned me."Her last words had Yukino looking away and biting her lip, she understood all too well what it was like to bring misfortune to everyone around her.

"Don't worry about it, at least you managed to find us."Present Lucy reassured her and the other one smiled sadly.

"Yeah, but now we're gonna be stuck here until it happens."They stared at her in confusion and anticipation.

"It? What are you talking about?"Natsu asked her and future Lucy avoided their eyes. She was shaking a bit and they knew whatever 'it' was, had her terrified. And that scared them as well.

"The reason why I came back here. I wanted to warn you about it, though I fear there isn't much we can do to prevent this from happening."Future Lucy paused and took a deep breath.

"Our worst nightmares are going to came to life. A swarm of over 10.000 dragons will attack the kingdom. The city will burn, the castle will fall and countless lives will be lost." Everyone stared at her wide-eyed and absolutely terrified.

"Shit! We are so dead!"Natsu started freaking out and running around, same as Happy. Mira and Wendy looked at future Lucy as if hoping she would tell them it was all a joke. Present Lucy was stuck in place, paralyzed by fear.

"No. It can't be!"She felt her knees giving in and she would have fallen if Loki hadn't caught her in time.

"Don't worry, Lucy, your night in shining armor is always here."He told her charmingly and Natsu suddenly stopped.

"Hey! Take your hands off my girlfriend!"The orange haired man looked in confusion between the dragon slayer and celestial spirit.

"Wait, what?"He asked and a blushing Lucy removed his arms from around her as she managed to stand.

"You don't have to keep announcing it, you know?"She told her boyfriend firmly, though she was smiling. Natsu wasted no time in coming her way and wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

"Now that our friends know, I want the world to know that you are mine."He replied smoothly and Carla shook her head in disapproval.

"And you're an idiot"Lucy replied before hitting him on the shoulder and he stepped away while rubbing it. "But you're my idiot."She added with a light smile and his face lightened up.

"Hell yeah!"He replied excitedly and Lucy shook her head before wrapping her arms around his neck and he quickly wrapped his own around her waist. They were facing the possibility of doom and were both stressed, so nothing better than the knowledge that at least they were together to make them relax a bit.

"Okay, lovebirds, let's focus."Loki called them once the couple started kissing and they pulled apart, although their arms were still wrapped around each other.

"So, what can we do?"Wendy asked them and Natsu stepped away from Lucy before answering determinately.

"I know what we can't do. We can't just it around while it happens. We gotta fight them."Everyone stared at him like he was crazy.

"You're kidding, right?"Lucy asked right before Happy butted in.

"We can't fight against that many dragons!"He screamed and Future Lucy brought their attention back to her.

"You mean, you actually believe me?"She looked stunned and they stared at her in confusion.

"Wait, you were lying?"Natsu asked, wide-eyed. She shook her head vigorously.

"No, I would never lie to you. I'm just surprised, that's all. The story is so absurd, I wouldn't blame you if you didn't believe me." She answered honestly and they all smiled.

"I would never doubt anything you said, Lucy."Natsu said while staring between his girlfriend and her future self. The latter smiled while blushing a bit while the first came closer to him and wrapped her arms around his own.

"This is one of those times when I remember why I fell in love with you."Lucy told him while staring deep into his eyes and Natsu's smile was bigger than ever.

"I know. I'm awesome, aren't I?"He joked and she playfully punched him on the shoulder.

"Stop ruining the moment!"She told him firmly and their friends laughed.

"Oh, you two are just so adorable and hilarious!"Mira told them between laughs and future Lucy had a nostalgic smile on her face.

"I remember how carefree we used to be, it was nice. But after the attack and so many horrible things happened… We just didn't have any reasons to smile anymore." She looked down and Present Lucy gave her a confident smile.

"Don't worry, we'll do everything we can to stop that from happening."She told her future self while Natsu smiled proudly.

"Of course! And we'll get the chance to fight dragons while doing that. So awesome!"They rolled their eyes at his words, but he was right. This would be a good way to test their strength, if they survived that is. But first they needed to get out of the castle so that they could warn the others. Easier said than done.

With Gray and Juvia...

Once they were out of their friends' earshot, he spoke again.

"So, about that thing with Lyon…"She interrupted him.

"I understand that you are under the assumption that we are…together."She said the last word slowly while frowning.

"The assumption?"He stopped walking before giving her a confused look.

"Gray, Lyon and I aren't dating."She said firmly after sighing and he looked at her dumbly.

"You're not?"She shook her head vigorously before resuming her walking and he accompanied her.

"No. We kissed once, but it didn't lead to anything. It only served to prove that nothing could ever happen between us."She looked at the river and he could feel his heart beating faster with hope. Could it be that he had misunderstood the situation?

"So there's nothing else going on between the two of you."She confirmed with a nod.

"No, we're just friends, at least we hope we still are. You saw how upset he was earlier today."She told him and it was his turn to nod.

"So that's why he was so mad at me."He finally understood it and he was ashamed of the relief he felt with this new information, even if he knew it meant Lyon was heartbroken.

"He's jealous. He knows that I could never love him, not when I'm still in love with you."He was caught off guard by her blunt confession and couldn't help but to laugh.

"What's so funny?"She was confused and a bit upset that he was laughing at her. That's certainly not the reaction she had expected to her confession. Usually he would just pretend she never said it and change the subject. Juvia was starting to believe that there would never be a day when he would reply positively when she told him his feelings and that thought made her heart hurt.

"You. I don't think I'll ever understand how you can be so open about your feelings, just throwing them out there without fear."Gray replied, looking at her intensely and she looked away once again.

"That's not true."She protested firmly. Once he gave her a confused look, she clarified. "I am afraid, every single time. I just know better than to expect a positive response by now. So it doesn't hurt so much anymore."She kept her eyes trained on the river, not wanting him to see the power he had over her. She was unaware that her words had a great effect on him. As Gray remembered many times in which she had revealed her feelings to him, leaving no doubt that she did love him, he made a decision. During times when he had acted indifferently or ignored her confessions, but not now. Not this time.

"Juvia…"He started, but was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Master Makarov.

"Master? Is something wrong?"Juvia asked upon noticing the serious look on his face.

"I'm really sorry to interrupt, but the king has requested the presence of all guild wizards at the main square. He said it's urgent."The young couple nodded, understanding that the situation required their full attention.

"Thanks for letting us know. We'll be there soon."Gray told him and it was master's turn to nod in understanding. Makarov hadn't heard much, but he could tell this was an important conversation as well.

"The rest of the guild is waiting. Don't take too long."He warned them before leaving Juvia and Gray alone.

"Juvia."Gray caught her attention and she looked at him. He saw her sigh and before he could understand what was happening, she had erased the distance between them. She had a determined look upon her face and he was about to question her, when she grabbed his head and kissed him. Intensely. Passionately. Just like he had kissed her before.

It took him a few seconds of surprise before he responded by wrapping one arm around her waist and settling the other on her hair. He was confused to why she was kissing him instead of letting him tell her what he needed, but wouldn't complain about it.

The kiss ended shortly when Juvia pulled apart, letting his face go and removing his hand from her waist. They were both breathless and a bit blushed.

"What was that for?"He asked, a little dazed.

"I have really bad feeling about what's gonna happen, so I needed something good to focus on later."She replied and he frowned at her words. He couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked while he watched her attempt to fix her hair and Gray wanted to tell her again. He wanted to tell her everything that he had been holding for the past few days. He needed to.

"Juvia, I really need to…"She interrupted him by shaking her head.

"Not now, Gray. I can't deal with this now."Juvia didn't know what he wanted to tell her, but she knew that her fragile heart couldn't take another rejection at the moment. She sensed that a battle was coming and if she wanted to stay focused, she needed to have her mind clean. It wasn't the right time to think about Gray, Lyon and the mess they had gotten themselves into. So she sighed deeply before stepping away from him. She didn't see the lost look on his face when she turned her back on him and started walking in the direction of the main square.

The ice mage stood still by the river, confused and frustrated. Why couldn't he find the right time to tell his feelings for her? Why did it have to be so hard?

"Come on, master said we shouldn't take too long."Juvia looked back briefly, her heart hurting with how lost and pained he looked. She wanted to ask him about it, to let him tell her what he wanted, but they couldn't now.

Gray sighed before he started following her. He was even more sure that fate would find a twisted way to damage their relationship, specially now that he knew she was available and still in love with him.

"Please let me be wrong."He prayed to whatever gods may be listening that something terrible wouldn't happen and him and Juvia would be okay. That they would finish this conversation later tonight, he would confess his feelings and they would get together. He hoped that they would be happy.

Somehow, there was a part of him that knew the truth. There would be no later. Not for them.

**So, thoughts, anyone? Did you understand the chapter title? Poor Gray, he just never has a chance to tell her the truth. Guess it's bad karma.**

**Don't worry, a confession will come soon and it will be intense, passionate and romantic. I'm sure you'll be very pleased with how I chose for him to tell her his feelings. For now, just have faith that these two will be happy in time. We still got two kisses only in this chapter, so I hope you're happy with that.**

**Did you enjoy the Gajuvia and GrayXErza friendship? I think someone requested more scenes with the first pair, so there you go. And there's Erza, always pushing Gray to do the right thing. I just love to portray her as the cupid! She needs some loving too, don't you think? Jellal is coming soon, so Jerza fans, be ready for some romance!**

**NaLu fas, are you happy?**

**Lastly, what did you think of the Juvia X Seilah talk? Many clues there, so pay good attention**.

**Next chapter: Never See The Sun Again. You know what's coming. The most important Gruvia scene of this entire arc and possibly the whole anime. No more needs to be said. Just be prepared to get your hearts broken again.**

**130 hits and I'll post chapter 7. Now that's a challenge.**


	7. Never See The Sun Again

**Hello, people! You've been on fire lately! 34 hits in less than a week, now that's a record (for me). Thank you very much :)**

**This chapter is my favorite one** **so far. I think it has everything: romance, action, angst, more angst and cuteness. The title here was chosen in honor of Gray and Juvia's first meeting, when he brought light into her life for the first time. I thought it was very fitting.**

**Also, for those who ship Jerza, this is a tease for what's to come for them!**

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Lose You-Peter Yorn

I don't need a better thing,

I'd settle for less,

It's another thing for me,

I just have to wander through this world

Alone.

Cause I'm gonna lose you

I'll lose you now for good.

* * *

The next hour was a mess as the members of the top 6 guilds were informed by the king that they would soon be attacked by a swarm of 10.000 dragons and many people lost it. After the mages were able to calm down, the king explained that a counter attack had been set in motion, the Eclipse Cannon. Fairy Tail members were confused about the sudden new information about the eclipse, but they didn't have time to dwell on it.

Tomas I. Fiore begged them to help fight against the dragons since they had magic powers and might be able to damage the creatures. The wizards agreed wholeheartedly, but were still worried because dragons were known to be too strong and they feared they wouldn't be able to defeat them.

Soon they were informed that Lucy and the others were safe and that eased the weight for Fairy Tail. They wanted to meet her and make sure she really was okay, but there was no time. As the Eclipse Canon was being activated, the guilds spread across Crocus as they began forming plans to defeat the dragons. Fairy Tail remained at the main square and all master Makarov told them is that they would use all of their power to protect their friends and the kingdom.

While they were gathering, Lucy, Wendy and the exceeds were in front of the castle with Princess Hisui and Colonel Arcadius. It had been an eventful night for them even though they hadn't participated in the last night of the games. After hearing their fate from Future Lucy, things had only gone south. They had been found by the royal army and engaged in yet another fight against them and later the Executioners, who joined.

The fight had been interrupted by a mysterious shadow that had swallowed all of the soldiers and killers, much to the Fairy Tail members' surprise. It had later been revealed that the shadow was actually a person, more specifically Rogue, from Sabertooth. Well, the future version of him. He had claimed to have come back from 7 years after the events of that day to try and stop it from happening again, much like future Lucy. However, unlike her, he had used different methods.

After a long talk with the group, during which they were convinced something was off with him, he had claimed that there was a person who was destined to close the Eclipse Gate before it could be used as a cannon to stop the dragons. He later revealed that person to be none other than Lucy and had swiftly sent his magic towards her with the intention of killing her.

Thankfully, Future Lucy sacrificed herself and so Present Lucy was able to survive. It was a a sad and emotional moment between the two versions and Natsu's reaction left no doubt that he loved Lucy more than anything. Afterwards, he had told Lucy, Wendy and the exceeds to run away while he dealt with Rogue. They had agreed, but only because they knew Natsu could hold his own. After he and Present Lucy shared the most passionate kiss and promised that they would find their way to each other and stay alive, the blonde left with the little girl and the cats.

It wasn't long before they encountered princess Hisui and Colonel Arcadius in front of the castle where they were able to witness the power behind the Eclipse. However, Lucy soon discovered thanks to one of her spirits, that the gate couldn't be used as a cannon, it could only connect points in time. Unfortunately, the gate had somehow fixated itself in a certain period, 400 years before, during the Dragon Era.

For reasons unknown to them, 7 dragons crossed through the gate and started attacking the kingdom. It was up to the guild wizards to stop them, specially the dragon slayers. Natsu, Gajeel, Wendy, Laxus, Sting, Rogue and the currently freed Cobra faced off against the creatures while the rest focused on protecting the town from mini dragons that were released all over Crocus.

Gray and Juvia had stayed together during all this commotion, since the ice mage refused to leave her side, much to her confusion. After everything that had happened that night, their relationship was more confusing than ever, but they couldn't focus on that, not with the imminent threat of the dragons. So they stayed together while navigating through the city and fighting against the mini dragons.

Somehow, Lyon ended up joining them and things got even more awkward since Gray and the older ice mage weren't in the best terms and the last thing Juvia wanted was to be swept into their rivalry. Thank goodness the two men understood that and did their best to behave themselves.

"Try and beat this! Ice-Make: snow tigers."Lyon screamed while leading his magic towards the dragons. Gray and Juvia were currently on the ground, after he had pushed her out of the way just as she was about to be attacked.

"Will you two get up?"Lyon yelled in frustration after the dragons destroyed his creations quite easily. Juvia quickly removed herself from Gray, both of them blushing.

"Ice-Cannon!"Gray sent as soon as he was up with Juvia's help. Their injuries had been healed by Chelia, but they weren't 100% yet, so having to fight the dragons was more exhausting for them.

"How could they have beaten Ice-Cannon?"Juvia wondered from her place behind the two wizards. Her powers hadn't been much help and since there were no bodies of water nearby, the river being too far from their current destination, she had to save her magic in order to regain strength. So she stayed behind while Gray and Lyon worked their best to protect her. She couldn't complain, specially when these two were working together so well despite their clear frustration towards each other.

"I don't know about you, man, but I'm getting sick of this underdog crap."Gray said, panting. "Let's take them out together."

"Sounds good to me."Lyon returned his smirk and agreed to his proposal. Together they sent their strongest spells agains the dragons, but even though it worked, more appeared from behind the rocks.

"Damn, they just keep coming."Gray could feel himself weakening due to using his powers for so long and Lyon was tired as well.

"We should fall back and take cover."Lyon said while moving away, Gray kept staring at the dragons that were coming their way.

"Gray, we have to go!"Juvia pleaded as she grabbed his arm and her eyes widened when she saw that the dragons were about to attack. Thankfully, him and Lyon were able to create a shield just in time.

"Stay behind me."Gray told her as Juvia tried to get in front of them to attack the dragons.

"I'm tired of not doing anything. I'll just get rid of these ones so that we can go."She told him and she saw worry in his eyes. She smiled gently at him before turning her attention back to the dragons.

"Juvia, no!"Lyon yelled once she stepped out of the shield and both men stared in horrors as the dragon's blue lasers went right at her. However, they had completely forgotten that Juvia had the ability to turn her body into water, so when the lasers came, they went straight through her.

"Thank god."Gray muttered under his breath before he smiled proudly once Juvia used her water slicer to eliminate most of the dragons.

"She's incredible, isn't she?"Lyon commented while smiling and Gray nodded. Seeing Juvia in action and being reminded that she was more than a beautiful woman, she had strength unlike anyone he knew, except for Erza maybe, made him fall even more in love with her.

"Shall we go now?"Juvia asked as she approached the two man, a smile on her face. There were only two dragons left.

"Hell yeah."Gray replied before extending his hand and she gladly took it as they ran away from the chaos.

* * *

_Meanwhile, in a different part of the city…_

Erza was alone while fighting against the dragons. She had been stubborn and refused to stay low and rest like her friends suggested. She was Erza Scarlet, after all. She wasn't the kind to ever back down from a fight, no matter how injured she might be. Problem was, the enemy this time was just as stubborn as she was. The mini dragons kept coming, no matter how many she eliminated. It was frustrating and Erza could feel that her injuries were taking their toll. She was thrown back hard and fell it some rocks.

"Not good. I'm all alone here and my foot's broken."She whispered as she considered her situation. She wasn't in any condition to run due to the broken bone and she was so exhausted she doubted she could even stand at the moment. This was bad. Really bad.

"I really did push myself too far. So pathetic. Why do I always have this need to be so strong, never show any signs of weakness?"She knew the answer to that. So many times in her life she had faced deadly and terrifying situations. She had learned that nothing threw an enemy off better than fearless opponent. But sometimes she took it too far. Sometimes she forgot that she didn't need to be so strong, so unafraid even though she was. And this was one of these times.

"I should have been more careful, should have listened to my friends. But it's too late now."She closed her eyes, not wanting the last thing she would see to be these horrible creatures. As she faced the possibility of death once again, her mind wondered to her friends. Natsu. Gray. Lucy. She wondered where they were, what they were doing, if they were safe.

She knew Gray had been fighting against the dragons with Juvia and she wondered if these two might finally get together on this night. She remembered her conversation with the ice mage a few days ago, how they had agreed that both of them needed to sort out their feelings. But Erza hadn't needed to figure anything out, she already knew.

She knew exactly how she felt when it came to the one person who always stayed in her mind, who she always worried about. Someone who had hurt her in the past, but the way she saw it, he had more than made up for it. He was like her, so strong and fearless, but he was also kind and gentle and that's why she hadn't been able to stop herself from falling for him. And boy, had she tried.

When he had threatened her, over 10 years before, claiming that he would kill all the people she loved, she had tried to hate him. But she couldn't. Even at such a young age, Erza already knew that she loved him. And as time passed, her feelings stayed the same even when he once again endangered the people she loved in the Tower Of Heaven. He killed Simon, someone she cared about. But he hadn't been himself, back then he was being controlled by Ultear. But even if he weren't, Erza would have forgiven him the same. Because, as she had come to learn, this was love.

Such a strange feeling, of being in love. It could make the strongest person fall to their knees and it could also make the weakest show strength no one would suspect them to possess. Erza had been terrified of it, after her love for him had caused her to almost go against the Council, right after they had defeated Oración Seis with his help. She hadn't understood how she could have been so reckless, just because of one person.

She only understood what happened a few months later, when they were in Tenrou Island. She had talked to Juvia and she had seen Juvia's strength when it came to her love for Gray. That was when Erza finally understood why she had trusted Jellal so easily even after everything he did for her, why she had been so inclined to defend him, why she thought of him so constantly. It was love. She was in love with him.

When she had talked to Gray about it a few nights before, she had known that he was feeling the same towards Juvia. She had seen his jealousy towards Lyon, his desire to protect her in Tenrou Island and so many more acts that proved to her that he was in love. However, since she had taken some time herself to realize it, instead of forcing him to admit it, she told him to simply think about the subject. About Juvia and his feelings for her.

Erza had thought it might help, that he would realize it on his own. And he did, in a very harsh way. But he saw it nonetheless and Erza had been happy. She had thought at least one of them might have a happy ending, and she knew that he deserved it. But things had spiraled downward, with Juvia currently dating Lyon and Gray's heart was shattered. He had tried to hide it, pretend it didn't really affect him, but she knew better.

She could see he was slowly losing hope, until that kiss. She had watched it and there was no doubt left in her mind that Juvia and Gray belonged together. She was sure of it. But that matter would have to wait, for they were in the middle of war. A war she was about to lose.

"I'm sorry, guys. I hope you can forgive me for being to stupid."She muttered sadly. She opened her eyes briefly, just in time to see a large purple ball consume all the dragons. She was stunned for a second, but her heart started beating faster once she realized that she knew that magic. She would recognize it anywhere.

"It looks like you overdid it this time."Jellal said as he appeared after the light faded.

"Jellal…"He gave her a bright smile she couldn't help but to return.

"I hope this doesn't offend you, but let me give you a hand."He told her gently and she almost felt the need to cry, in relief that he had saved her or shame for being so reckless, she didn't know. All she knew is that she was glad he was there.

"Thank you."She said as he helped her stand. They shared intense looks and Erza wanted to say more, she wanted to tell him about all these thoughts running through her head. These feelings she couldn't deny, couldn't suppress. But she couldn't. Not until the war was over and they had won.

* * *

Along their escape, somehow Juvia and Gray ended up being separated and the blue haired woman was terribly worried about him. She had seen how exhausted he was becoming with each attack of the dragons and wished nothing more than for them both to be safe. As she searched for Gray around the ruins of Crocus, she somehow came across a familiar head of pink hair.

"Juvia!"It was Meredy and the bluenette was surprised to see she was still in Crocus, but guessed that Crime Sorciére had been warned about their impending doom.

"Meredy!"She let out a surprised gasp and Meredy looked worried.

"Have you seen Ultear? I lost track of her a while ago."The pink haired girl asked and before Juvia could respond, Gray appeared out of no where and he pushed them to the ground.

"Get down!"He screamed and Juvia could see that three mini dragons were firing their lasers just then, right at their directions. Gray had saved them just in time and she felt extremely grateful to him, while also ashamed of herself for being so careless.

"Stay focused, this is a war zone!"Lyon yelled, also showing up suddenly. It was as if he had read Juvia's thoughts and she lowered her head in shame.

"Sorry."She heard Meredy say sheepishly and she missed the intense look shared between her and Lyon.

* * *

Not far from where they were, Silver hid in the shadows as he watched them. He had been following the couple around ever since they ran off with Lyon to fight against the dragons. He wanted nothing more than to talk to Gray now that he knew his son was alive, but it wasn't possible, not when that could put the young ice mage in great danger. Not that he wasn't already in danger, with these dragons pursuing them.

"This is turning out to be more dangerous than I thought."Silver said while he watched Gray save Juvia and Meredy from the mini dragons.

Although he had settled to watching them from the shadows in order to keep both Juvia and Gray safe, he hadn't hesitated to help them against destroy the dragons, discreetly of course. His acquired powers may have been very useful in the fight against the monsters, but he couldn't afford to use them, it would draw too much unwanted attention. So he had settled for using regular ice magic and it had done the job.

Gray and Juvia seemed completely unaware of his help, so that was good. As long as they didn't realize that he was there, he could continue helping them. Oh, but how he wished that he could talk to them, it was his son after all. But he couldn't. Not yet.

* * *

"Juvia, are you ok?"Meredy asked the water mage who was too absorbed with scolding herself for being careless to pay much attention to what was happening around them.

"What? Oh, yes, I'm fine."She replied unconvincingly. She was unaware that Gray was watching her intensely, an idea forming in his head. He had been thinking about it ever since they were warned about the dragons' attack, knowing there was a chance they might not survive this night. And even though he had prayed, hoped that they would be alright, that it wouldn't be over for them, he had a feeling something terrible would happen. And Gray was determined to tell Juvia the truth because she deserved to know it and it had to come from him.

So he had decided to confess his feelings. Now. While they were, as Lyon had just reminded them, in the middle of a war zone. The timing couldn't be worse and neither could the setting, but Gray was sure that Juvia would be glad simply to hear those three words he knew she had dreamed for so long.

"Juvia, I have to tell you something."He looked deeply into her eyes and she was surprised by the intensity of his gaze.

"Okay." She slowly stood up and stared at him with those big blue eyes. He could see that she wasn't entirely focused on their conversation, for once. Her attention darted between him and Lyon as the older ice mage was holding off the mini dragons while they talked. Meredy had joined him and Juvia could see that they were whispering to each other. She was curious to what they might be talking about.

"It's important, so can you please focus?"He called her attention and Juvia looked back at him.

"Is something wrong?"She asked, he suddenly looked so nervous, like she had never seen before. But he also seemed more determined than ever, so she was curious.

"No. But I have to do this before it's too late."His reply brought back the horrible feeling she had been having all night. Juvia looked around, back to their two friends who were whispering to each other. What were they saying? What if they were going to get hurt? What would she do if something happened to Lyon or Meredy? She shook her head as she thought about how selfish she and Gray were being, leaving them to deal with the monsters alone while they had a conversation they probably could have another time.

"Can't we talk later? They need our help."She pointed towards Lyon and Meredy and Gray sighed. This wasn't going at all how he had planned.

* * *

_Meanwhile, at the city gates…_

"Are you sure you're okay, Levy?"Kinana asked. They had been assigned to help in the evacuation since their powers would be least affective against the dragons. Levy had been reluctant to come, not wanting to leave Gajeel to fight alone when he wasn't 100% healed, but he had made it clear that she was to stay as far away from the war zone as possible.

_"Gajeel, let me help. I can support you." She had pleaded after the first master had separated the group into different jobs and locations._

_"Don't worry about me, you'll have your hands full."He had told her softly yet firmly. She knew that he didn't want her to go with him, she would only become a liability. But she couldn't leave him, not when there was a chance they might not survive this night._

_"But…"He had cut off her protests._

_"You should help the townspeople evacuate."He had looked at her intensely and she knew there was no room for argument._

_"Alright. But promise me that you'll stay safe."He had smirked at her._

_"You should be more concerned about the dragons." Suddenly, his expression had turned more serious and concerned. "You stay out of danger, okay, shrimp? I can't always be there to save you."She had smiled before approaching him._

_"What, are you worried?"She had asked while smirking and his expression had been priceless."I'm tough, can take care of myself."He had laughed and she had joined him soon._

_"Of course you are. I wouldn't let you go alone otherwise." Another smile was shared, but there was worry behind it. They were both scared of losing each other, of losing the war, of losing. But they would never admit it._

_"Well, I'll be on my way. Go kick some ass."In a bold movement, she kissed his cheek softly before walking away quickly before anything could be said, a small blush on her cheeks. She had missed the identical blush on his cheeks and the way he stared at her in shock as she walked away._

"I'm fine. "Levy replied to her friend with a smile at the fond memory. "Please, be safe."She whispered afterwards while staring at the battlefield around them.

* * *

"Did you tell her about it?"Meredy asked Lyon while they watched the couple talk from the corner of their eyes. They were whispering so that no one could hear this conversation.

"Of course not, I would never tell Juvia about this. It's humiliating."Lyon's response left the pink haired girl frowning and the ice mage quickly tried to compensate. "Not that being with you was humiliating, just the situation."

"I can understand that."Meredy replied after nodding. "You really love her, don't you?"She watched as Lyon looked back at Juvia and his feelings were so clear, so open. Too bad they were also unrequited.

"I wish it wasn't so hard to move on, but with her being so close…"He didn't finish, but she understood.

Meredy had never been in love, being a runaway made it difficult to meet someone, but she had seen Jellal suffering over his clear affection towards Erza Scarlet many times. She saw how broken he was when she disappeared for years, thought to be dead and if it taught anything is that love always brings pain. Just look at Gray, Juvia and Lyon. They were the perfect example of the mess love creates. That's why she had vowed to herself long ago to never fall in love.

"You'll manage, I'm sure."She smiled at him reassuringly, but it did nothing. Right now, he was broken. Too broken to see the light.

"I hope so. Wouldn't want to suffer forever."He replied and they remembered the evening they had spent together a few days before. "Can we agree never to talk to anyone about it?"

"Of course. I promise no one will know what happened that night."She replied before their attention was driven towards more dragons coming their way. It was time to fight.

* * *

"There are too many of them."Silver muttered from his spot in the shadows. "I have to do something."He started forming a spell, ready to take out as many dragons as he could without being noticed, when he heard a voice that made his blood run cold. The voice from his nightmares. The person who always haunted him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."A man appeared. He wore a large black cloak that left only his skeleton hands and face in display. He looked like a creature from horror books and that was exactly what he was.

"Keyes. What the hell are you doing here?"Silver muttered under his breath, suddenly feeling terrified.

"Did you really think we would have sent you to the games alone?"Keyes' deep and creepy voice replied. He was smirking at the other man.

"So you were watching me."Silver stated and Keyes confirmed with a nod.

"All the time. It was quite amusing when you started following the boy and his companions."Keyes pointed towards Gray and Silver realized his greatest fear since he had discovered that his son was alive had come true. They knew and that meant the young ice mage was put in great danger.

"I swear to god if you even think about harming my son…"Keyes didn't let him finish his threat.

"You'll do what, exactly?"He smirked upon seeing Silver's face contorted in anger and hands balled into fists. "Yes, that reaction of yours is proof of why we're so superior."

"Keep talking and I might decide to stop playing nice."Silver replied venomously and the other man laughed.

"So amusing! But you'd better not forget who is in charge here."There was a threatening glow in the skeleton's eyes. "Or else we're going to have to remind you."He gave another pointed look in Gray's direction and Silver gulped.

"Please."He hated himself for begging, but it was all he could do. Having Gray safe was more important than anything and he would do whatever it takes to assure it. "Let him be. He's not a threat, so he shouldn't be involved in this."

"That's not what Lord Zeref thinks."Keyes' response left him even more desperate and afraid. This was bad. "In fact, he's taken quite an interest in the boy, due to his connection to her."This time he pointed at Juvia, who was looking at the other two people they were ignoring.

"Why does he care about it?"Silver asked, a bit curious. It was't like Zeref to be so interested in someone just because they were connected to the object of his interest.

"My master cares about anything and everything involving her. She is, after all, our greatest weapon."To this day Silver didn't understand why the black wizard was so convinced Juvia would be the bringer of victory in his insane plan. He had seen as Zeref watched her, studied her, tested her in order to assure she was the one. And still, Silver didn't see how someone filled with so much light could be chosen to bring so much darkness into the world.

"A weapon."He repeated Keyes words before sighing. He wanted nothing more but to warn her about their intentions, make her remember what had been forgotten, but he couldn't. Not while they had him within their grasp.

"She'll do excellently, I'm sure. I can sense her power and she's grown even stronger now that she has her second origin, from what Seilah mentioned."

They looked back in the direction of Gray and Juvia once again, only to be met with the most horrifying sight. Silver froze in place, mouth open in a silent scream he couldn't let out without calling their attention. His eyes widened and his heart was shattered once again. It couldn't he happening, not now, not when he had been graced with good news for the first time in over a decade. Yet it was happening and he could do nothing but watch.

* * *

"Juvia, please!"She looked at him in surprise. Gray had never sounded so desperate before. This must really be important.

"Alright. What do you wish to to tell me?"She asked and Gray took a deep breath. However, his response was yet again cut off by a loud scream coming from Lyon.

"Juvia, move!"The couple looked in his direction and were terrified to see a laser coming straight at Juvia.

In that moment, Gray didn't think about how stupid his plan was, he didn't consider the fact that Juvia could turn her body into water and so it wouldn't hit her. He didn't even know how it happened, but his body acted before his brain could process it. Soon he was pushing her away, placing himself right in the direction of the laser.

Juvia watched in horror as he was hit by it. She couldn't believe that he had saved her, sacrificing himself in the process. It wasn't as if Gray had never done it before, but this time it was more serious. More risky. More deadly. She managed to brace her fall, so she was sitting, but before she could stand up, it happened. He was hit two, three, four, five times. The last one, on his head.

She couldn't think, she couldn't move, she couldn't even cry. All she could do was stare in shock as the man she loved fell to the ground, body pale and filled with blood. So much blood. So much pain. So much fear. As she watched Gray lie on the ground, unmoving, flashbacks to a similar situation came to her mind.

_A little boy, blue hair and big brown eyes. His was face pale, his eyes closed, as if he was sleeping. Blood all over his body, so much blood she could barely see the little outfit he had been wearing, a present she had given him only a few days before. She had screamed, cried for help, but it was too late. He was gone. Forever. Her heart shattered and she was broken. She gathered the little boy in her arms and cried until she had no more tears left. The skies cried with her, rain falling harder than ever._

"Nooooo!"A loud scream left her mouth as she stared back at Gray's dead body. She was still in her spot on the ground, still unmoving. Jut like he was. He was gone. Forever. She would never be able to kiss him again, touch him again or tell him she loved him. He would become just an addition to the list of dead bodies she had caused, of people she had lost because of her weakness, of her stupidity. And she would never forgive herself. (sounds familiar, huh?)

"Grayyy!"Lyon also screamed, just as painfully. He was standing in place, Meredy not far from him. Looking in disbelief at the broken body in front of them. The pink haired girl was covering her mouth, tears streaming down her face. She understood their pain, she could see it clearly.

Rain started falling around them, hard and cold. Just like Juvia's heart was. Once again the skies cried with her so the whole world could see her pain, her sorrow. Last time she had thought she would never see the sun again. Until Gray had come and filled her life with sunshine. This time, the rain would never stop because her sun, her reason to live, was gone. Forever.

**So, thoughts?**

**Did you like my take on the episode? I hope I did it justice.**

**Poor Gray, he just can't find the right time to confess. At least you got some good Gruvia scenes here, right? But the real confession is coming soon, guys. Just hang on.**

**That ending, huh? Did it break your hearts like it broke mine? I wanted it to be intense and emotional.**

**What do you make of my portrayal of Meredy? What do you think happened between her and Lyon and why do they want to keep it a secret?**

**Added a little GaLe in there, did you like it?**

**Jerza fans are you happy? Next chapter we'll have the real scenes with these two, this was just a setup. I hope you understand my take on their relationship.**

**Lastly, what are your thoughts on Silver and Keyes? I'm surprised no one guessed he was the one I was talking about. The clues were pretty obvious, in my opinion.**

**Next chapter: Close To The Edge. More Gruvia, more Jerza and... Ultear. It's her time to shine! It will be her first and last appearance in this story, so I dedicated most of chapter 8 to her.**

**Since you've been so fast lately, let's make a new challenge: 50 hits for chapter 8.**


	8. Close To The Edge

**Hello, people. Sorry it took me awhile to post this chapter, but I was waiting until we reached 50 hits. It didn't happen, but I want to thank you all anyways for making it to 30. If you keep up like this I might finish posting this story before 2018.**

**Now, I'll warn you beforehand that this is the saddest chapter I've ever written. Seriously, if you thought chapter 7 was heartbreaking, this is worse.**

**I'd like to dedicate this chapter to Ultear because she's amazing and I adore her. This is the first and last time she will appear in the story, so I made sure to give her the spotlight. Rest assure that the repercussions of her sacrifice will be explored with Gruvia, Meredy and Jellal. It won't have been in vain, just like it wasn't in the anime.**

**Once again, warning you: angst, sadness, heartbreak. Good luck!**

* * *

Bring Me To Life-Evanescence

Frozen inside without your touch, without your love

Darling, only you are the life amongst the death

I've been sleeping for a thousand years

Got to open my eyes to everything

Without a thought without a soul

Bring me to life

* * *

Juvia was quiet. She didn't move. All she could do was stare at the body, his body. He was gone. It was so unbelievable, so surreal and yet so true. She was broken. Too broken to do anything except stare in horror.

"I can't believe this." Lyon mumbled, he had moved closer to where she was sitting, but made no movement to comfort her. He was still in shock, staring at Gray's dead body in disbelief.

"I am so sorry." Meredy said, unsure what else she could say. The weight of Gray's death hit her hard as she was reminded that not too long ago she had attempted to kill him. Fate sure had a cruel sense of humor.

"He's gone." Lyon said as the tears finally fell down his cheeks and the pink haired girl moved closer to him and touched his arm comfortingly.

The rain started falling even harder after Lyon said it and both stared at the silent woman by Gray's side. Her heartbreak was as clear as day and the image of her suffering because of Gray's death made Lyon's own suffering hurt less. He realized then just how deep Juvia's feelings went and understood why she had rejected him. There was no place for anyone else in her heart. Only Gray. And he was gone.

"Juvia." He said gently. She didn't look at him, instead remaining frozen in place.

"I think she needs a little time."Meredy warned him while she grabbed the arm he had extended to touch the bluenette's shoulder. Lyon stared at her unsurely, but the determined look in her eyes was enough for him to hold back.

"This is horrible. I never…. I would have never guessed it would happen." His voice was shaky and Meredy cast him a sympathetic look. Then, without a second thought, she wrapped her arms around him and brought his head close to her chest. He was surprised for a moment, but soon relaxed into her embrace.

He let the tears fall as Meredy comforted him, her hand running through his hair in a soothing manner. They might have only known each other for 2 days, but at the moment he was hurting for so many reasons and Meredy's comfort was exactly what he needed.

They were both so preoccupied with each other that they missed when Juvia finally moved from her spot. She eyed them with a mixture of sorrow and despair before she slowly walked towards Gray. Her mind was blank and she felt numb. She didn't think, she didn't feel. Except for the overwhelming pain that was consuming her whole.

She sat down before laying on top of Gray's body, her head against his bloodied chest and her arms hugging him tightly. He was cold, too cold. And pale too. He was dead. The words finally sank in and she could't stop the tears. She cried with anguish and despair as she thought how she would never see the sun again.

* * *

Ultear walked along the ruins of Crocus, heart heavy with sorrow and regret. She had been so close. So close to letting go of all that she had acquired, all the changes she had gone through. Or at least she had thought that things had changed. That she had become a better person, one that might deserve Meredy's affections or Gray's forgiveness. But it wasn't true.

"I stopped just short of murder." She whispered after her knees gave in and she fell down. She felt so disgusted with herself, terrified to learn that nothing had changed. "I didn't go through with it, but that isn't the problem." She sighed deeply before looking around at the deserted town. No one was near her, no one would see her breaking down.

"The fact is, I would have done it. Without a second thought, I would have killed an innocent man." She wasn't thinking of the fact that the only reason she would have done so is because it might save this world. That she would be sacrificing one life to save so many others. Ultear knew better than to fill her mind with false truths, she knew better than to focus on the good things when the bad always outweighed them.

* * *

" _Daddy, look! I made a snowman." Silver smiled as he followed his son through their house and outside. It was snowing like it usually did in Antartica._

_"Would you look at that. Good work, my boy!" The black haired man praised the child, who smiled brightly while showing off his work._

_"Thanks, daddy!" Gray replied while showing his toothless smile. "Can you use your magic to build one too?" The little boy requested and Silver chuckled._

_"Of course. But let's call your mother first, she doesn't like to be left out of the fun." Gray nodded excitedly before running away, back to their house. Silver followed him until they reached the kitchen, where his lovely wife was just finished with preparing their dinner._

_"Mamma, daddy and I are going to build snowmen." Mika smiled proudly at her son._

_"Is that so? Sounds fun." She looked between her two boys with adoration._

_"You should join us, it's not too cold out there." Silver told her and she shook her head while laughing._

_"You always say that, darling, but I know better. How you can be so resistant to the cold I'll never understand." She told him and he shrugged._

_"I'm an ice mage. We don't feel cold." She rolled her eyes, that was always his excuse._

_"You always say that. Now come on, Gray. I'm sure you and I can build a much better snowmen than your silly daddy!" She turned to their excited son and he started jumping up and down before running towards her and grabbing her hand._

_"Come, mamma! We need to hurry so daddy can't catch up to us." He started dragging her outside and Silver watched them while rolling his eyes. It was just another happy day in the life of the Fullbusters. Barely did they know, their happiness would soon be stolen forever._

Silver silently cried while he thought of his son, this special young man who lay on the cold, hard ground. Unmoving. Dead. It shouldn't affect him so much to see Gray dead after 10 years believing he was, but it hurt. Like hell.

"No. Please no." He prayed he was just hallucinating, like it usually happened. But he knew it wasn't a mirage, Gray was really gone. After Silver had seen him alive for only a few hours. Why couldn't he ever have some measure of peace?

"Now this is unexpected. At least the girl remains unharmed." He had completely forgotten that Keyes was there.

"This is your fault." Silver muttered in anger and despair, the pain still overwhelming him. If Keyes hadn't showed up and started threatening him, he would have been able to help. He could have stopped that first laser from firing. He could have saved Gray. This realization made his anger overwhelm the heartbreak of losing his son once again and Silver was able to think straight. The course of action was clear now.

"Now don't be delusional. I wasn't the one who killed your son, though I did plan to do it." The demon replied calmly, unaffected by the horrible scene in front of them. He seemed unaware of what Silver planned to do and didn't move even with the burning glare the ice mage gave him.

"You are going to pay for this!" Silver launched himself at Keyes and threw the other man back. They fell to the ground and before Keyes could comprehend what was happening, the broken man had already conjured up a spear with his ice demon-slaying magic. "For what you did to my son and to that poor girl, all of you will pay." He vowed before he lowered the spear, right into Keyes' heart. If he even had one, that is. There was no regret, no remorse. All Silver could think about was avenging his son.

* * *

"Who am I fooling?" Ultear could no longer stop the tears that had threatened to fall. The realization was too much for her to bare. "I haven't changed one bit. Crime Sorciére, what a joke. I could never atone for the sins of my past."

She had tried, so hard. She had helped Jellal escape prison since he didn't deserve it, she had given Meredy all the love she could, had kept raising the young girl who somehow loved her even if she didn't deserve it. They had grown closer, had become like family. Their guild, the one they created in an attempt to fix their mistakes, had brought them happiness and they had helped so many people. Dark guilds had been eliminated, anyone who had a connection with Zeref they had destroyed, but it wasn't enough. Nothing would be enough.

Ultear had fooled herself, had convinced the others that they could find their way to redemption, that it was possible. Meredy hadn't made as many mistakes as her and Jellal, so the young girl had accepted her words wholeheartedly. But the blue haired man knew that there was no way for the two of them to move on.

He had made it clear to her one night, 6 years before. It was right after Erza had been pronounced dead along with the rest of Fairy Tail. She had attempted to comfort him, knowing of his feelings towards the red head, but Jellal had rejected her attempts. He had told her that it was karma, the weigh of his mistakes coming back to him.

He had said that he deserved to lose Erza, the one person he loved so desperately. He had warned Ultear that she should keep herself from falling in love because it would only bring her pain. It were the words of a broken man, but Ultear found truth in them. She had promised herself long ago never to fall in love and she had kept it. Aside from Meredy, there was no love in her life. And she had been happy that way.

* * *

"Is there no end to these monsters?" Erza was panting hard, her injuries had taken their toll on her a few minutes before and she was now sitting while still using her magic to wipe out the little dragons. Her power was nearly gone, so she was lucky Jellal was there to aid her. He was standing by her side, fighting harder than she had ever seen. She always loved when he was serious about a fight, he got this determined look that made him even more handsome.

"Doesn't seem like it." Jellal replied while eliminating 3 at the same time. He too was panting, getting more tired as the minutes went by. However, there was no way he would give up, not while she was there and unable to fight seriously. He would protect her.

"I hope Natsu can fix this and soon. I don't know how much longer I can take." Erza commented and he took a good look at her. Her injuries from the Games hadn't healed properly and there was blood pouring out some of her bandages. Her foot looked the worse of all, he was sure that it was broken.

"Your injuries look more severe and you're bleeding." He stated before turning his attention to more dragons coming their way. "You need medical help and soon." He added after defeating them.

"You don't need to worry about me. I'll be fine." She tried to reassure him, but he always knew when she was lying. He could read her better than anyone else, perhaps because she allowed herself to be more vulnerable when it came to him. Only him.

"I know you will, Erza. But you need to be treated, so I'll take you to where I was informed Miss. Porlyusica is located." She stared at him with determined eyes, unwilling to give in. If there was one thing Erza Scarlet never did, it was to accept defeat.

"No. The others need our help with the dragons, so I'll stay and fight. I might not be able to stand up, but I can do enough damage from here." As if to prove her point, she sent a few swords towards a few dragons that had come up from behind him while he was focused on her. Jellal watched her actions in apparent amusement before shaking his head.

"You never know when to quit, do you?" He asked and she couldn't help but to smile.

"I never quit, but you know that." She replied and he walked her way before sitting next to her.

"You're incredible, Erza. Your never-ending strength is something I don't think I'll ever understand." Both chuckled and she moved closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder before sighing.

"I guess I feel like I have to be strong so no one will think I have any weaknesses." She admitted quietly and he wrapped an arm around her to bring her closer. For once in a long time, there were no dragons in sight.

"You don't have to always be strong, you know. You can allow yourself to be more vulnerable sometimes." He told her and she sighed in content. Being in his arms was so comforting and calming. She felt like nothing bad could happen as long as they were there.

"I know. But it's difficult. I think you're the only person who makes me comfortable enough to be vulnerable." She admitted and hated the small blush that appeared on her cheeks. She buried her head on his shoulder to hide it, missing the sad look that crossed his face with her words.

"Erza, I…" He swallowed hard and she pulled away to stare into his dark green eyes. She was surprised to see fear in them.

"What's wrong?" She asked worriedly while looking around only to see there were no enemies.

"What you said…You can't feel that way." She was surprised by his firm tone.

"What do you…" He interrupted her.

"I don't want you to think of me as someone who makes you comfortable, it's wrong. After everything I've done to you…" It was her turn to interrupt.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I forgive you? You have to let it go, Jellal, or else you'll never move on from your mistakes." She firmly told him and he shook his head.

"I can't let it go, not when it haunts me all the time. The times that I hurt you, threatened to kill the people you love. I can't forgive myself." Her expression softened and she touched his cheek gently.

"Look at me." She commanded when he avoided her eyes. "You are not that person anymore. You've changed, I can see it clearly. You've become kind and loyal and I'm not the only one who thinks so. You need to focus on the person you've become instead of who you were before." He couldn't help it but to smile.

"You always know what to say, don't you?" He repeated the words he had said to her less than two weeks before, when they had encountered each other after 7 years of him believing her to be dead. Their conversation that day wasn't much different from this one. The difference was that they were both aware of their feelings now.

"That's still not true. I just see you for who you are and I'd like it if you did as well." She replied and he sighed. Her hand was still on his cheek and as she stared into his eyes, she knew what she wanted. She wanted to tell him. She needed to. The enemies weren't there, it was just the two of them. Now was the right time. "Jellal…" She saw many emotions cross his eyes. Fear. Pain. Regret.

"I know." She was stunned.

"What?" She asked and he smiled sadly.

"I can see it in your eyes, Erza. But I can't hear you say it." He tried to pull away from her, but she put both arms on his shoulders, holding him in place.

"Why? Why do you insist on pushing me away?" She asked in frustration and he looked broken.

"I'm sorry." He said simply and Erza sighed. She was tired. Tired of fighting. Of being strong when she felt so weak she wanted nothing more than lay down and sleep. Tired of being conflicted about her feelings. She had finally made a decision, but it seemed as if his mind was also made up. And he didn't want them to be together. She could see it.

"I can't believe you would rather make us both suffer instead of letting go of the past." She said rather harshly and he looked taken aback.

"The last thing I want is for you to suffer, Erza. But I can't. Not now." He told her sincerely and her reply was cut off as they suddenly felt a strong wave of power and everything went chaotic.

* * *

More tears fell as Ultear thought of Meredy, the little girl she had once rescued and who became such a constant part of her life Ultear didn't even realize it. She didn't realize that she had been giving Meredy false hope, making her believe in things that weren't true. "Meredy. Sweet, pure Meredy. Words cannot express how much you mean to me or how I wish we could have been happy. We could have had a life, a real one, if I wasn't so…rotten at the core. I wanted to change, for you. But I couldn't and I am so sorry."

"I've lived my entire life in the shadows, ruled by darkness. I thrived on deception, contempt, anger and death." Admitting those words was harder than she had expected. It was the simple truth that she had shielded her mind from, had shielded from Meredy. "But still, I received forgiveness and compassion. Gray allowed me a second chance in life." She smiled at the memory of the ice mage who had trained under Ur, her mother. He had showed her so much kindness even though she didn't deserve it. He had forgiven her and that was why she had decided to move on instead of killing herself like she had planned 7 years ago.

"But in the end, it didn't really matter. I know now that I will never find salvation, for I am still the same in the core. A witch crumbling under the weight of her crimes, one who would take the life of an innocent." Ultear lowered her head in shame before she swallowed hard. She knew the next words she would mutter were the ones that would change everything.

"I am unfit for this world. I don't deserve to live." She concluded as she came to a decision she should have come to long ago. The decision to use a spell that would help the people she cared about, that would keep them safe. That was all she wanted.

" _Last Ages Spell. I absolutely forbid it's use." Master Hades had told her firmly after she had confided in him about her desire to learn Arc Of Time Magic._

_"But why? This is exactly the spell that I was hoping to discover!" Ultear had complained, she had been just a child then. An innocent, clueless child. "This magic allows you to turn back time and do things over again. I will do whatever it takes of me to master it." Master Hades had looked concerned while also proud of her determination._

_"The price of mastering Last Ages Spell is quite a heavy one indeed. It does in fact turn back time, but the caster must forfeit their time in return." Ultear hadn't understood exactly what he meant._

_"Their time?"Hades had sighed before responding._

_"In other words, their life."She had been disappointed to learn that, it meant the spell was of no use to her. She would never be reunited with her mother._

_"Oh. I see. Thank you." Later she had cried tears of anger, of sorrow. She had thought of Ur, of her mother and how much she wished to be reunited with her some day._

"It will never happen. Not when I have committed so many sins, we won't be meeting in heaven."She took a deep breath. "But at least I can give up this life of sin and sorrow to attempt to set the world as it was. I can save them." She thought of all the people she owed so much to and her decision was set.

"Arc Of Time: Last Ages."She said clearly and firmly. It hurt so much, she felt like every piece of her existence was being torn to shreds. But she endured it. She knew this pain was nothing compared to the one she had caused, to the suffering she had brought to this world.

"Gray, Jellal and Sweet Meredy."She focused on the people she loved in order to distract herself from the pain. "I never deserved their forgiveness. Their warmth was wasted on me. So obsessed with my past that I could never live in the present, much less the future. But now I can find redemption, I can give the time I would have wasted in this world so that the ones I love can live and be a part of it."

"I ask the hands of time to reverse and return the world to what it was before that stupid gate plunged it into chaos. Let my life be enough!" She was screaming by then, looking at the sky with pleading eyes, hoping whatever gods were watching would listen to her prayer.

* * *

"You always know what to say, don't you?" Jellal repeated the words he had said to her less than two weeks before.

"That's still not true. I just see you for who you are and I'd like it if you did as well." Erza replied before her eyes widened. "Wait. I've said that before." She pulled away from him while looking around wildly.

"So strange."He muttered before looking at her.

"What's happening?" She asked no one in particular. "It's as if we had a vision, a glimpse into the future." His eyes widened at her words.

"Ultear." He said the name, voice shaking. Something was wrong, very wrong. He could feel it clearly. "What have you done?" He muttered under his breath and Erza watched him curiously before attempting to stand up.

"Ultear? You think she's related to what happened?" She asked him and his response was cut off by the sudden appearance of 3 dragons. Before they could do anything, the creatures suddenly shot their lasers, all in Erza's direction. She was paralyzed by fear, but Jellal acted fast. He ran to her while using his magic to hit the dragons. They were eliminated quite easily, but the damage was already done.

"Erza?" He asked before his eyes followed hers to where a laser had hit her right shoulder. The bandages on it were ripped and blood was pouring out. So much blood. So many injuries.

Erza could feel herself falling, but he caught her before she could hit the ground. As she stared into his dark green eyes, a sudden thought occurred to her. She could die that night. It wasn't unlikely, she could feel herself slipping away as breathing got harder and she lost so much blood. And she knew that she would never forgive herself if she didn't tell him the truth before it happened. He deserved to know, even if he didn't want to.

"I… I love you." She finally confessed while her pale hand-much too pale for her liking or his- cupped his cheek gently and she attempted a reassuring smile, but found herself to weak for it. Jellal stared at her so brokenly, so painfully, she could see how much it hurt him to see her in that state. So she tried her best to keep herself conscious, though it was getting harder by the minutes.

The blue haired man scanned her injuries, his hands were shaking and his eyes were carefully avoiding hers. She knew he was trying to distract himself from her confession and Erza felt hurt when he didn't reply to it. But there were more important matters at the moment, she understood.

"You're going to be okay." Jellal whispered after he finished scanning her. She couldn't hear him by then, having fallen unconscious due to the pain and blood loss. He picked her up and carried her all the way to the palace, where Porlyusica was staying, as he had been informed by Agent Doranbolt. The large place now served as an infirmary that hosted many injured wizards. Once he arrived with Erza, some of them stared at him in surprise and fear.

"This looks bad. Put her on that bed."Porlyusica told him while pointing towards the only vacant bed in the large room. As Jellal set Erza on the bed, he wished nothing more than to stay with her, but he couldn't. Not when he was a wanted criminal and was sure many of the people there would feel uncomfortable with his presence. So he gave her a longing look before kissing her forehead and then he was gone.

* * *

"Juvia, I have to tell you something." Gray looked deeply into her eyes and she was surprised by the intensity of his gaze.

"Okay." She slowly stood up and stared at him with those big blue eyes. He could see that she wasn't entirely focused on their conversation, for once. Her attention darted between him and Lyon as the older ice mage was holding off the mini dragons while they talked. Meredy had joined him and Juvia could see that they were whispering to each other. She was curious to what they might be talking about.

"It's important, so can you please focus?" He called her attention before their eyes widened. Flashes of Gray's death left the four wizards beyond confused.

"What just happened here?" Lyon whispered from his spot by Meredy's side.

"I died?" Gray asked, it was so surreal. He never thought that he would see himself die. But then it hit him. The reason why he had died.

"Was it a dream?" Meredy asked, but he ignored her. His eyes were focused on the blue haired woman he had sacrificed himself for. She had taken a few steps away from the rest of them as her widened eyes stared at him in disbelief. A hand was over her mouth as she kept shaking her head.

"No. You were gone. Gone." She repeated, voice shaking and tears falling. Gray's heart was shattered by the pain in her eyes, but at least she was alive. He had managed to save her.

"Juvia…."He swallowed hard, but she only stared at him brokenly before falling to her knees.

"Look, some of the little ones were climbing over there! " Meredy tore her concerned gaze from Juvia and towards where the dragons had attacked. As if her words had power, 5 dragons showed up all of sudden. Gray was frozen in place, so Lyon took action immediately.

"Meredy." The pink haired girl nodded before she used her magic to defeat the dragons. Lyon watched Gray and Juvia for a moment before going towards the broken girl crying on the floor. He cast Gray a glare for his lack of action, but understood the other ice mage must still be in shock. After all, seeing yourself dying must really affect someone.

"Juvia." Lyon said her name gently after he approached her and she only cried harder. He could see she was gasping for breath as she muttered things he couldn't hear. Seeing her pain, her sorrow, made the hole in his broken heart even bigger. He couldn't bare to see her suffering, even if the reason for it was her love another man.

"Gone. My fault. No." He kneeled by her side and he could hear her whispers now. She was clearly blaming herself for Gray's death.

"Juvia." He tried to get her attention while touching her shoulder softly and she froze before stepping away from him. He tried not to show how it hurt when she pushed him away. "It's okay. Gray's alright, he's right there." He pointed towards where the ice mage stood still, black eyes widened in shock.

"No, he's gone. He left me." Juvia kept sobbing as she attempted to catch her breath. Lyon was confused, she has looked right at Gray, but it was if she couldn't see him. That's when he realized she was having a panic attack and he started panicking as well.

"Gray, snap out of it." Lyon yelled at the black haired man who didn't move. He didn't even hear Lyon's words, didn't see how desperate the other man was or how much Juvia was suffering. His mind was currently plagued by dark thoughts that he couldn't suppress anymore.

Juvia had almost died. He had come so close to losing her, only his quick thinking had been able to save her. What if he had failed? What would he have done? That was way too painful to even consider, but it had almost happened.

And the worse was, it wasn't the first time he would lose someone he loved. That's exactly why Gray had kept his heart closed for so long, for fear of losing anyone who became close to him. Until Juvia. After he had realized that he loved her, he had let himself hope for once. Hope that things might be alright between them, that they might be happy together. How foolish he had been!

It was almost like a curse, how it happened every single time. First with his parents, then Ur. Erza had come close too and Juvia was only alive by a miracle. Why did he have to be subjected to so much pain? Why couldn't he let people close to his heart without losing them? His mind kept replaying the moment she had been almost hit by that laser bean, so close. So close to losing her.

He couldn't let it happen again. And he knew that it would happen, he would cause her death. That terrified him, angered him, but he knew it was true. As long as Juvia was kept close to him, she would be in danger. He had to stay away, even if that would hurt him, the pain would be nothing compared to that of losing her.

His attention was caught by her voice, she was no longer whispering. Her words cut him like knives and his resolve began to waver.

"Why? Why him? It should have been me. He didn't deserve to die. " Juvia's broken voice could be heard clearly now. Gray flinched at her words, but still didn't move. Meredy glanced worriedly at the water mage while attempting to keep the monsters at bay.

"Juvia, listen to me. Gray is alive. He's fine. It's not real, what you're seeing." Lyon tried to approach her once again, but she shook her head and crawled back further. Her back hit the ruins of a house and she stared in fear at the man who kept approaching her.

"Stay away. I can't…." He stopped immediately upon noticing the fear in her eyes and lifted his hands in surrender.

"Alright, I'll stay right here. See? Not moving." He tried to calm her down, but his words had the opposite effect.

"Not moving. He wasn't moving. Or breathing. He's dead because of me." She weeped and Gray couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't watch her suffer when he was right there, so close. He couldn't stay away now.

So he finally moved from his spot and marched towards her while she was looking at the ground, knees held close to her chest as she went back to mumbling incoherently.

She needed him, so he would keep his promise to stay away later. Right now, he would reassure her that he was alive and well, he would take away her pain. Too bad he didn't know that pain had always been a constant in her life and her suffering was far from over.

* * *

**So, thoughts?**

**Did you like the scenes with everyone suffering from Gray's death? I hope you thought all the characters reacted accordingly.**

**What did you think of SilverXGray flashbacks and Silver pretty much killing Keyes? Too bad time will be reversed, so it won't truly happen.**

**And Ultear, isn't she just amazing? Too bad she's gone now. :( I hope you liked my portrayal of her.**

**Jerza fans, are you happy? I tried my best to do something good for these two. We even got a confession, Jellal's will take a while, though. But you know he loves her. For me it's always been clear that these two have been in love with each other since the beginning.**

**Lastly, what are your thoughts on the ending scenes with Juvia, Gray and Lyon? I'm sure you're frustrated with Gray's decision to once again back away, but hope you understood his reasons for it. Don't worry, it won't last for long. The time for Gruvia to get together is coming very soon.**

 

**Next chapter: Keep You Safe.**

**More Gruvia, MeredyXLyon flashbacks and the truth behind Juvia and Silver's connection.**

**35 hits and the next chapter might come as soon as Tuesday.**


	9. Keep You Safe

**Hello, dear readers. Sorry I'm posting this a bit late, I was waiting until chapter 8 reached 30 hits.**

**I think you'll be happy to learn that, according to my plans, Connections will reach over 30 chapters. So there's still a long way to go, even after Gruvia get together. **

**I have plans for all the characters and couples and we still have the matter of the huge plot twists I came up with. The first one will be revealed in this chapter, though I think it's a given.**

**Now, just something I want to add: All these scenes with Silver, his introduction early in the story and all are meant to get you used to the idea of him before the great reencounter between Silver, Juvia and Gray.**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

 

Torn-One Direction

I'm all out of faith  
This is how I feel, I'm cold and I am shamed  
Lying naked on the floor  
Illusion never changed  
Into something real  
Wide awake and I can see the perfect sky is torn  
You're a little late

I'm already torn

* * *

"Hey, it's okay." Gray said once he reached her and she blinked a few times before staring at him in disbelief.

"Gr—Gray?" She stuttered and he gave her a gentle smile before kneeling down in front of her.

"Yes, I'm right here." She looked at him unsurely for a moment, a hand moving forward to touch his face. He was worried about her cold her hand was.

"Are you…real?" She asked, still gasping for breath. Gray took her pale hand in his and gave it a soft kiss.

"Of course. If I was just a fragment of your imagination, I'm sure we'd be married by now and with thirty kids." He attempted to joke and a small smile appeared on her face.

"But you were gone. I saw it." Her smile faded soon and she went back to heartbroken.

"I don't know exactly what happened Juvia, but I am not dead." He squeezed her hand tightly before he placed it where his heart was beating normally. "See? I'm very much alive." He was relieved when he noticed how she was no longer gasping for breath.

"You're here." He confirmed with a nod and she took a deep breath before throwing herself in his arms, crying again. He was surprised, but hugged her tightly. For the next few minutes, he allowed her to let everything out while patting her back awkwardly. Gray wasn't good when it came to comforting people, but he tried his best to make her feel better.

"Thank you." The silence was broken by Lyon say and Gray met his gaze with confusion.

"For what?" He questioned and the older ice mage smiled. With no monsters in sight, Meredy turned her attention back to them and she smiled at the sight of Juvia wrapped in Gray's arms. She could see it clearly now, these two were in love. Just as she had assumed 7 years ago.

"For staying alive. You saw how broken she was, I can't imagine what it would be like if you hadn't somehow returned." Gray sighed before giving him a bittersweet smile.

"You would've taken care of her. She would have been happy with you, I'm sure." He was shocked when Lyon shook his head.

"No, if her reaction proved anything is that she wouldn't be happy with anyone else."He admitted bitterly before sighing. "I never stood a chance."

"I'm sorry, Lyon. You may not believe me, but I never wanted to see you get your heart broken. I wish the circumstances could be different." Gray sincerely apologized, he knew how the other man was feeling, considering he had been in Lyon's place for the past three days.

"It's alright, Gray. I'll be okay, it will just take time." Lyon replied and Gray smiled.

"So, are we good?"He asked and the older ice mage nodded.

"Yes. Just as long as you don't hurt her, we'll be fine." He cast Gray a threatening glare and the black haired man's response was interrupted as Juvia removed herself from Gray's arms. Her eyes were red and tears were still streaming down her face, but she wasn't as bale as before and her breathing had returned to normal. Both man stared at her in concern and anticipation, knowing she had probably heard their conversation.

"I'm glad to see you two have made up." She told them with a smile while drying her tears.

"I'm actually surprised, I was waiting for a fight to erupt." Meredy butted in with a smirk and Lyon glared at her.

"We're not children, you know." His argument was weak and both women laughed. Gray couldn't help but to smile when he saw Juvia's face lightening up. He liked seeing her happy. The knot on his heart tightened as he remembered the promise he had made. Could he really stay away from her? Was he strong enough to do so?

"…tell me?" He looked at her in confusion.

"What?" She shook her head while smiling softly.

"I asked if you still wanted to tell me about that important thing from before." She repeated and Gray's smile faltered as he remembered that he was about to tell her that he loved her. He couldn't. Not when he knew it would only put her in danger. He had to keep his distance, keep her safe.

"Oh, it was nothing, really." It didn't seem like she believed him, but before she could say anything, there was a scream.

"Meredy!" It was Lyon. They looked in the direction he was staring at and were relieved to see Meredy fall to the ground, barely escaping a laser bean that had been aimed for her head. The bean moved past her and towards where Gray and Juvia were. The couple wasn't too concerned, since they were sitting so it wouldn't hit them. What they didn't count on was that it might hit the house behind them.

The ruins started falling on top of them and Gray wasn't fast enough to stop them, but Juvia was. She pulled him inside her water body like she had done once before and used her water slicer to cut through the rocks so they wouldn't do much damage. Lyon aided Juvia in destroying the rocks while Meredy took care of the dragons. Feeling adrenaline coursing through her veins, Juvia was able to stand up and she ran a few steps before collapsing on the ground.

"Juvia? Juvia?" Gray desperately called for her after he was freed. He ran towards her unconscious body and sat by her side. He started desperately shaking her until Lyon called his attention.

"Stop that Gray, you're only going to injure her." The younger ice mage lay her back on the ground while staring worriedly at her pale face.

"She's too pale."His blood ran cold as his mind went back to the dark place and he was terrified. What if she was dead? He was close enough to easily check that, but found himself paralyzed in fear.

"I'm sure she's fine."He heard a soft voice say and stared at Meredy as she kneeled by Juvia's other side. The pink haired girl placed her hand on Juvia's neck and smiled reassuringly at him. "Yep, she's just exhausted. She pushed herself too far."

"You should take her somewhere safe, Gray." Gray's attention moved towards the older ice mage.

"To the new infirmary. I remember master told us Porlyusica would be staying at the palace to aid the wounded." He said and Lyon nodded.

"Go, then." Gray was surprised when he didn't suggest going with them.

"What about you?" The young ice mage asked and Lyon shared a meaningful look with Meredy.

"I'll stay here." Gray looked between them with raised eyebrows.

"What's going on with you two? I had no idea you even knew each other!" Both parties looked uncomfortable all of sudden as Meredy replied.

"We met a few days ago." She said simply and Gray shrugged. It wasn't his place. Besides, the need to get Juvia help overwhelmed his curiosity.

"Okay. Be careful, then. Stay safe!" He told them before gently picking Juvia up. With a final nod, he left the place with her safely in his arms. Even though he was exhausted, he was ready to protect her if needed. No harm would come to her as long as he was there.

       -----------------------------

"So, guess we'll have some explaining to do later." Lyon told Meredy after Gray left and she nodded.

"They'll want answers, so we'd better discuss what we're telling them." She said and he sighed. He wished he didn't have to tell them what had happened two days ago, it was rather humiliating. Well, not the whole experience. As he recalled the afternoon he had spent with Meredy, a small blush came to his face.

       -----------------------------

_After their first meeting at the restaurant bar, they had chatted for a while, just small talk, nothing special. She had asked him questions about the Games, his expectations and the participants. He had answered them excitedly, liking the idea of talking to someone who didn't know who he was, someone who wouldn't stare at him with pity because of his one-sided love for Juvia. Meredy was different from anyone he knew, he could see that there was more to her than just a beautiful stranger he happened to meet one afternoon._

_As time passed, he kept drowning himself in alcohol, in the hopes that he could forget about his heartbreak. Meredy noticed how much he was drinking, but she didn't say anything about it. She too had a couple drinks, but not enough to get drunk like he was after a few hours._

_Lyon Vastia wasn't the kind of guy to drink. It was rare for him to ever turn to alcohol, but he really needed it that afternoon. Problem was, a drunken person wasn't so good at thinking and before he knew what had happened, he had kissed her. It was right after she had been telling him about her powers and he didn't even know why he did that. Meredy had pushed him away instinctively and he stared at her, mortified._

_"I think you've had too much to drink." She had told him firmly before snatching away the drink on his hands._

_"You're right. I'm sorry." He wasn't so drunk to the point of forgetting his manners._

_"Come on, let me help you get back to your inn." She stood up and offered her arm. He held onto her as he attempted to stand up, it only made him feel dizzy and a bit sick. He blinked a few times so his vision would return to normal and she waited patiently._

_"Okay." She lead him outside while many people watched them curiously. It had been many hours since the naval battle then and if Lyon's mind was working well he would have remembered that he was supposed to be fighting in the arena soon. But he didn't._

_"So, where are you staying?" Meredy asked after they had been walking for a few minutes._

_"Hmmm….Don't remember." He tried hard to recall where was the inn he was staying with the rest of Lamia Scale, but it was no use._

_"Great." Meredy sighed and stopped, he halted as well. She looked around for a few minutes, trying to come up with a solution._

_"Guess I have no choice, then." She muttered and he stared at her curiously, a bit afraid. "Come on." She grabbed his arm and he followed her dumbly through the crowd. He was thankful that Meredy had put her cloak over him to shield him from the cold so his face was hidden. No one would recognize him. No one would see him at his worst._

_They walked for a good while until they reached a terrain located near Crocus. It was empty except for a little house hidden behind a few trees. Lyon raised an eyebrow, but she ignored him as she walked towards the house and opened the door quietly. It was empty, but he saw three sleeping bags on the floor, signalling Meredy wasn't the only one staying there._

_"So, is this where you're staying?" He asked as he removed the cloak, looking around suspiciously. She nodded before moving past him and towards small cabinets in the small kitchen area._

_"You can stay here for a while, until you're more…sober." Feeling too tired to keep standing, Lyon took a sit on the old couch by the window. He watched curiously as she grabbed a teacup and a pan._

_"What are you doing?" He asked and she didn't look at him as she placed the pan on the stove after filling it with water._

_"I'll make some tea, I believe it should help you sober up." Her words, though simple, cut like knives as he remembered how Juvia had ordered tea when they were eating at the restaurant. Before she had broken his heart. Before he had lost her for good. Although in truth, he never had her in the first place. "What's wrong?" He realized that Meredy was facing him, having left the water to boil. She looked concerned and Lyon mentaly cursed once he realized that there were tears falling down his cheeks._

_"I'm fine." He tried, but the tears kept coming. He let out a defeated sigh and attempted to dry them._

_"You look pretty upset. Do you want to talk about what happened at the restaurant now?" He didn't know why, but he suddenly felt like confiding in her about everything. It was so unlike Lyon, he wasn't the type to trust people so easily, but something told him that he could trust Meredy. Besides, the alcohol had lowered his defenses, so at that moment he might have even trusted Gray Fullbuster._

_"I got my heart broken." He admitted after a few minutes os silence and she looked at him sympathetically.._

_"I'm sorry to hear it." She said gently, taking a few steps so she could sit on a chair by the table. Lyon sighed._

_"It was my fault, really. I knew she was in love with another, but still I let my hopes up. I thought that she would realize eventually that I could make her happy too." He confessed and she remained silent, staring at him pitifully. "But it was no use, she won't let go of Gray even though he keeps ignoring her, the bastard." Meredy's eyes widened at the familiar name._

_"Wait. By 'Gray' do you mean Gray Fullbuster?" She asked and he nodded._

_"How did you know?" He assumed she must recognize the name from the Games._

_"I met him once, briefly." She answered before it clicked."So you're in love with Juvia?" He was taken aback by her question._

_"Do you know her?" Meredy nodded. There was silence once again as they tried to take in the new information. Soon the water had been boiled and Meredy poured it into the teacup before grabbing the tea sack._

_"So, you know Gray and Juvia" Lyon asked as she walked towards the couch before taking a seat on the other end._

_"Yes, I met them on Tenrou Island. Truth be told back then I had been trying to kill them." A regretful look crossed Meredy's face as she recalled the person she used to be._

_"Tenrou Island...So you were a member of Grimoire Heart?" Lyon asked and she looked away, sadly._

_"Yes." She whispered before she handed him the teacup. Lyon placed it on the table by the couch's side before staring at her gently._

_"It's alright, Meredy. I'm not going to judge you, I am certainly in no position to do that now." He told her and she finally looked back at him._

_"Why did you keep going after her?" Her question surprised him and he stared at her, confused. "I mean, if you knew she loved Gray, why even try?" Lyon sighed before his face turned into a bittersweet smile._

_"I know it was stupid of me, but I was in love. I still am." He looked down and Meredy's face softened._

_"I'm sorry you had to get your heart broken." She told him sincerely and he looked back at her, her face showed understanding. "I wish I could tell you that you and her might have been happy, but I saw her with Gray and I know they are meant to be together." She added, regretting the words the moment they left her mouth._

_"I know. I just couldn't keep myself from hoping." Lyon bitterly said and she smiled gently at him._

_"So, why don't you tell me more about it? Perhaps getting it out of your system will help you move on." She suggested and Lyon found himself smiling at her. Once again, the feeling of trust and comfort came back and he soon found himself telling Meredy everything. About his fist meeting with Juvia, and falling in love at first sight. About Gray's clear jealously, though he never made a move on her. About the bet Lyon had made and the many times he had tried to snatch Juvia. He told her about their conversation at the restaurant earlier that day._

_Throughout his drunken ramblings, Meredy listened avidly and with interest and the more he talked, the softer her expression would become. She let out a few comments, telling him she was sorry he had to go through that and encouraging him to move on. When night came, Lyon found himself falling asleep in her arms after she had hugged him and started caressing his hair in a comforting way. As he slept peacefully on the house with the beautiful stranger, for the first time in a while, his mind wasn't focused on Juvia Lockser._

_\----------------------------_

"It was actually a lovely evening."Lyon told her and she looked surprised.

"Do you really think so?"She asked and he smiled.

"Of course. It was nice spending time with you, thanks for comforting me." She smiled genuinely before her expression turned to concerned.

"Ultear." She said and Lyon looked confused.

"Who?" He asked and she stepped away from him and looked around wildly.

"My…mother. Something's wrong with her. I have to find her." Meredy said and he understood.

"Okay. We'll go looking for her then." She stared at him in surprise.

"You'll come with me?" Meredy hadn't been expecting him to offer it.

"If you want me to." Lyon said. "It doesn't feel right to leave you alone in this war zone, specially when you're clearly upset."

"Thank you." She gave him a small smile before walking away, him following her. For a few minutes there was silence between them as Meredy tried to sense Ultear's presence. She had first attempted to link them magically, but failed. That's when she knew that something terrible must have happened, her magic never failed. Never. Unless…. She pushed the thought out of her mind.

"Meredy?" She looked up at the familiar voice and was surprised to find Jellal there.

"Jellal? What are you doing here?" She asked and Lyon stared in shock at the blue haired man.

"Wait! That's…" Jellal interrupted him.

"You're a guild wizard. Lamia Scale, right?" Lyon was too stunned to do anything other than nod.

"Why are you with Meredy?" Jellal sounded overprotective and Lyon wondered where he and Meredy knew each other from. But then he remembered about the new guild Ultear had created, Crime Sorciere. He had been informed that there were three members and as he looked at the two strangers, he realized they were there.

"He's keeping me company. He's sort of…a friend." Meredy told Jellal, who raised an eyebrow, looking unconvinced.

"So you're the members of Crime Sorciere?" Lyon asked the two of them and Meredy looked conflicted while the blue haired man looked suspicious.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before." The young girl apologized profoundly while Jellal stared between the two of them curiously.

"It's alright, Meredy. I understand why you didn't do so." Lyon forgave her easily, he could clearly see she wasn't a bad person. He had been witness to the changes Ultear went through as the two had met a few times over the past seven years. She had never brought Meredy with her, though, so that's why he had been unaware she too was a member of Crime Sorciére.

Truthfully, Lyon didn't have a problem with the guild. After all, they had been doing good for the world by eliminating numerous dark guilds.

"We can discuss this later. Now, the priority is finding Ultear." Jellal said after a few moments of silence. Meredy looked at him in surprise.

"So you can feel it too, that something's wrong?" She asked and he nodded.

"Yes. I would have searched for her sooner, but Erza was injured so I had to take her to infirmary first." His reply left Lyon immensely confused and curious. He knew they were talking about Erza Scarlet and wondered how Jellal knew her.

He followed the two of them silently for a while as they searched for Ultear. They tried calling her name a few times, but when no answers came, settled for silently walking. No words were exchanged between them, but Meredy settled herself by Jellal's side and they shared concerned looks. Lyon tried to shake off the jealousy he felt when she left his side, this wasn't the time to think about his conflicted feelings. In fact if it was by him, he would never think about them. It only brought him trouble when he did so.

"No. Ultear!" Meredy's loud scream broke his train of thought and Lyon's breath was caught in his throat when he saw the body lying on the ground, lifeless eyes staring at the sky. Her whole body was burn as if she had barely escaped a fire, but there was a peaceful expression on her face.

"Ultear." Lyon muttered while feeling the familiar tears threatening to fall. He hadn't known her well, but she was Ur's daughter and. Therefore, she was important to him as well. And to find her dead body was horrifying, specially when his broken heart had barely started to heal.

"What have you done, Ultear?" Jellal muttered underneath his breath. By then Meredy had ran away from them and was sitting by Ultear's side, cradling her mother's broken body in her arms and sobbing uncontrollably. Just when Lyon had thought this night couldn't get any worse, fate had surprised him by throwing another death his way. He remembered Gray mentioning once how he thought that he was somehow cursed, since so many people he love died. As Lyon stared at Meredy's broken form and Ultear's body, he started thinking that Gray wasn't the only one who was cursed.

        -----------------------------

"My master cares about anything and everything involving her. She is, after all, our most important weapon." Keyes repeated the words he had spoken before. It took Silver only a few seconds to realize what was happening and he stared at Keyes in shock.

"What?" He muttered in confusion before his gaze directed towards Gray and Juvia. He was surprised and relieved to find his son very much alive.

"That's impossible. The boy was dead only a few seconds ago." Keyes muttered and he was clearly agitated.

"It wasn't real." Silver concluded. He would've assumed Keyes had caused the hallucination, but the other man was clearly as shocked as he was.

"No, one of these humans has performed the forbidden spell to reverse time. Last Ages." He wasn't surprised Keyes figured it out so quickly, Zeref's demons worked much faster than humans.

"How did you figure that out?" Silver decided to let go of his anger towards Keyes if only briefly, so that he could get some much needed answers.

"Seilah saw it. She said Lord Zeref has commanded us to retreat." Keyes replied while staring at him with those deadly eyes.

"No way! I won't leave until I make sure that Gray will be safe." He protested, knowing it was no use. If he was commanded to leave, he would have to leave. There wasn't a choice.

"You're lucky I have no intention of killing the boy yet. But you'd better be more careful, Silver, accidents happen all the time." The other man threatened and Silver felt shivers down his spine. He knew Keyes was referring to his surprise attack earlier and cursed himself for being so reckless. He couldn't go around killing demons, it would only put Gray in danger.

"Got your point." Silver replied before looking back at the couple. "What about the girl? Are we supposed to just leave her here, defenseless?" Keyes laughed.

"If you're concerned about the girl, then you're underestimating our Lord Zeref. He would never leave her unless he believed she would remain unharmed. The boy has proven that he's willing to protect her, so we have no reason to worry." Silver wasn't so sure, but if Zeref wasn't worried, neither would he.

"I'm surprised you haven't decided to retrieve her." He questioned and Keyes laughed while looking at Juvia.

"The time hasn't come yet. But it won't be long now, she's almost ready." He replied and Silver sighed. There was nothing worse than knowing about their plans towards her and being unable say anything. He wished he could warn her about the danger she was in. He almost felt like he had failed her. As Silver recalled the first time they met, he realized that he may as well have.

      -----------------------------

_The first thing he saw as he was brought to his cell was the young girl with blue hair lying on the ground, back turned to the bars keeping her prisoner. He could hear her soft whimpers and he guessed it was due to the injuries that covered her legs and arms, as he could see._

_She jumped when the door of the cell was forcefully opened by the woman who held Silver in a tight grasp. Her long green hair was left loose and a helmet covered her face, preventing either prisoners from fully analyzing her._

_"Looks like you've got company." She smirked at the scared little girl before throwing him unceremoniously into the cell. Silver groaned, he was too weakened to brace the fall so he fell face flat on the floor. He slowly lifted his head and looked at his companion. The girl was staring between the two adults in fear and the woman laughed._

_"Keep an eye on him, will you. I'll be back to collect you two tomorrow so we can have more fun." She smirked when the girl shivered, clearly terrified of the 'fun'. Soon the woman was gone and Silver groaned a few times before attempting to pull himself up. Surprisingly, the girl helped him and he smiled at her once he was sitting with his back against the wall._

_"Thanks, girl." He thanked her before blinking a few times, trying to shake off the blurriness in his vision. Once he took a good look at the girl, his eyes widened and she looked at him curiously._

_"Who are you?" She asked without delay and he blinked two times before answering._

_"My name's Silver. What about you?" He asked back and she smiled._

_"I'm Juvia." She replied before looking at him in confusion. "Why are you staring at me?"_

_"I'm sorry, it's just that… you remind me of someone." Silver told her and she looked curious._

_"Really? Who?" Juvia asked and he hesitated before answering._

_"An old friend of mine, haven't spoken to her in years, but I can swear you look almost exactly like her. Except for your eyes." He admitted, smiling a bit at the found memories of his close friend."Her name was Juliet." He added and watched as her eyes widened at the familiar name._

_"You knew my mom?" She asked and it was his turn to stare at her with widened eyes._

_"You're Juliet's daughter?" Silver asked and she nodded. "Wow. I had no idea she had children. But it makes sense, she got married at 17 after all. How old are you?" He asked, curious. Juliet should be 28 now, only a few years younger than him._

_"I'm 8." The little girl answered while holding up 8 fingers and he was stunned. 8 years. She was only a child. What was she doing in that horrible place?_

_"That's almost the same age as my son." The last word made Silver's heart hurt as he recalled how his son was no more. He avoided her eyes as a gloomy look came to his face._

_"When did you know my mom?" Juvia noticed his discomfort and so she changed the subject._

_"I met her while she lived in my home town, Antartica. That was before she had you, she moved away about 9 years ago." He explained, a smile coming to his face as he remembered Juliet and the close friendship he had formed with both her and her husband._

_"So can you tell me about her? I never really met her." Juvia asked, clearly excited to learn more about her mother. Silver was confused by her last statement._

_"What do you mean?" He asked, fearing her answer. Juvia looked away and he saw a lone tear fall._

_"Mamma died when I was barely 3, she was sick." She answered simply and Silver drew in a sharp breath. The news fell on him like an overwhelming weight on his shoulders._

_"So she's gone too. Seems like there's no one left." Before the young could question his words, he gasped and turned to her, face devoid of color. A thought came to his mind and he wondered if he was right."Why are you here, child?" She looked stunned by his question._

_"Seilah brought me here, somewhere safe she said." She replied after a few seconds and he sighed in relief. So she was still very much alive._

_"This place is anything but safe. You can't stay here." He spoke firmly and Juvia looked surprised._

_"I can't leave either, they won't let me." She told him and Silver shook his head._

_"I will find a way to help you escape. This isn't the place for you, I'm sure there's a brighter future awaiting you outside." She smiled at his words._

_"You will help me?" She sounded unsure, so he nodded firmly before smiling as well._

_"Of course. Anything for Juliet's daughter, your mom was a great friend." He said and there was a curious sparkle in her eyes as he stared telling her stories of the woman she had barely met, but loved anyways. For as long as he was trapped in that place, the memory of Juliet and her remarkable daughter is what allowed him to keep his strength. The knowledge that Juvia was somewhere far away after he helped her escape made him even more determined to escape himself one day. Too bad that never became possible._

        -----------------------------

The flashbacks ended and Silver sighed. It had been so long since that day and still, some things stayed the same. He was still a coward, too afraid to go against Keyes and the others. And he was still failing in protecting her.

"Well, Gray seems to be doing a good job about it." He thought while looking back to where Gray was still standing, paralyzed in place after having saved Juvia. The blue haired girl was crying as the other man attempted to comfort her and part of Silver wondered why his son hadn't gone to her, but he guessed the shock of almost losing her hadn't wore off yet. And he knew better than anyone what it was like to lose the person you love. Chasing that thought away, Silver focused on the two young people he cared about.

Juvia. She had been so strong, so powerful even at such a young age. He always knew she was destined for greatness, but the use Zeref had planned for her was just sick. He would destroy her. Even if killing her wasn't the black wizard's intention, a huge part of her would be dead once his plan was set in motion.

"I can't allow that to happen. I will keep her safe and Gray too. And I will find a way to warn them before the time comes." He vowed to himself before leaving as Keyes commanded. He truly hoped he would be able to warn them in time. Too bad that, as they say, 'Hope breeds eternal misery."

      -----------------------------

**So, thoughts?**

**Did you enjoy the few Gruvia scenes?**

**What about LyonXMeredy? I hope they weren't too OOC in the flashbacks.**

**Does anyone even ship these two? They will be the second most important couple in this story, so you can expect many scenes with them.**

**Did you like the scene with Lyon, Meredy and Jellal? It would be so hilarious if this happened in the anime.**

**Also, what do you think of Silver? Is anyone a fan of him? I personally adore his character and wish he had stayed longer on the show. I could imagine him becoming the biggest Gruvia shipper and teaming up with Erza to get the two of them together.**

**Lastly and most importantly, now you know that Juvia was once held captive by Tartarus. But why did Tartarus capture her? What is their goal with her? And why did they let her escape?**

**Next chapter: Avoiding You.**

**You can expect: NaLu talking about Gruvia, a bit of GaLe, Juvia and Lyon friendship and GrayXGajeel brOTP.**

**I'll post it once the story reaches 235 hits.**

 


	10. Avoiding You

**Hello, people. So, we're almost reaching the end of this first part of the story. I'd say we can divide Connections in Two Parts: Pre-Gruvia and Post-Gruvia. Don't think that just because those two are getting together very soon that the drama is over, there's a LOT more to come.**

**Seeing there seems to be no commenting on this site I have no idea if you ship any of the other couples or even care what happens to them. I'll continue to add scenes with them because it's important to develop all the main characters, not just Gray and Juvia. I want everyone to have a chance to shine in this story.**

**Beginning with the next chapter, this story will stop following the anime episodes correctly. I will be choosing a few that I like, but we're not going to be using any story arcs for a while. I want Gruvia to have a few mostly happy and tranquil chapters before everything goes down.**

**Wow. This chapter turned out way longer than I had planned.**

**Good luck reading it!**

* * *

 

1 week later..

After the battle against the dragons who came through the Eclipse Gate was over, the guild wizards remained in town to aid in its reconstruction. So many houses had been destroyed by the dragons or wizards who fought them, so they easily agreed to help. Fairy Tail members worked specially hard since most of the destruction was because of them.

Now, 1 week after the events, a ball was held at the castle as a way for the king to thank all the brave mages who defended the city. All of the guild members were invited and they were happily drinking, eating and dancing at the palace. Most were happy that the Games were over and so was the danger, but one was not. Gray Fullbuster stood by the food's table, a look of longing in his eyes as he stared at Juvia Lockser. She was currently sitting on a table between Cana and Lisanna, who talked excitedly while she merely watched, seeming uninterested.

"You should talk to her." He turned to his right only to find Lucy had approached him. She wore a pink gown that matched her guild mark on her hand.

"Hey, Lucy. Are you enjoying the party?" He completely ignored her words and she raised an eyebrow.

"Don't avoid the subject. I don't know exactly what's going on between you two, but I can clearly see you're both unhappy. So, go talk to her." He sighed deeply.

"I can't." She seemed taken aback. "We're not on speaking terms right now." He tried, but she looked unconvinced.

"I honestly can't gather why. Is it because of Lyon?" They glanced towards the table where Lamia Scale was staying and were surprised by Lyon's absence. Gray guessed he must not be in a celebrating mood considering it had only been a week since he had decided to move on from Juvia.

"No, there's nothing going on between him and Juvia." Gray looked back at her and Lucy seemed happy.

"So why aren't you with her right now?" She asked curiously. "You two kissed during the last day, quite an amazing kiss if you ask me, and then you've been avoiding her. You can't keep acting like this, Gray, I know you have feeling for her." He once again avoided her eyes. Of course, to his friends, it looked like they should be happily together by then. But they didn't know what had happened during the dragon's attack, weren't aware of the sacrifice Gray had made and the consequences of it.

"It doesn't matter. I have to stay away from her, it's better this way." Before Lucy could question him, a new voice was heard.

"There you are, Luce. I've been looking all over for you." Natsu cheerfully said as he approached the duo. He was dressed in a fancy suit, like most Fairy Tail male members were. Even Gray was fully clothed so far, he wore a blue and white suit that made him look like a prince.

"Hey there, Natsu." He greeted his old friend and Natsu gave him a bright smile.

"Hey there, ice princess. Glad to see you're keeping your clothes on tonight." Lucy glared at her boyfriend.

"Are you already trying to start a fight?" He gulped under her intense gaze and shook his head.

"No, of course not." Her glare didn't falter, so he laughed nervously before extending his hand. "Would you like to dance, milady?" He asked sweetly while giving her a charming smile and Lucy couldn't help but to smile as well.

"I would love to." She then turned to Gray, who watched them with a tight smile. "You, don't go running off, ok? This conversation isn't over." Natsu stared between the two of them curiously.

"I just need a break from this party. I'll take a walk around the palace." He told them before walking away. He soon found himself opening a door to a long corridor. As soon as he was alone, he sighed. Staying away from Juvia was harder than he had imagined and it didn't help that their friends kept trying to get them together. He would need to think of a better plan if he wished to keep this up.

* * *

 

"Hey." Gajeel said as he spotted Levy at a table, writing. He had been looking for her ever since the party had began, concerned that she hadn't showed up yet. He wasn't too surprised to spot her sitting on a table, writing.

"Hey, Gajeel." She let go of the feather and looked back with a bright smile.

"So, skipping the party to do a little writing, huh?" He asked, smirking. She blushed a bit before responding.

"Yeah. Nerdy, right?" She questioned and he shrugged.

"Nah. You're just a rebel." She knew that when it came to him, that was the closest thing to a compliment, so she smiled.

"I guess I am." He approached her until he was right in front of her and she stood up.

"Is everything okay, Levy? I get the feeling you've been avoiding me." It was true. Ever since the dragons had been defeated and everyone had been reunited, Levy had been finding distractions to keep her occupied and they had barely spend any time together. Gajeel was confused since he didn't have a clue to anything he might have done to upset her.

"I've been busy, that's all." She answered and he raised eyebrows. She wasn't exactly the greatest liar.

"That's not true. Come on, why are you mad at me?" He asked in frustration and turned her back on him, choosing to stare out the window instead.

"I'm not mad at you. I just… I was so scared." She admitted and he looked confused.

"Scared of what?" He could hear her sniffling and Gajeel internally groaned. Oh, how he hated dealing with crying women.

"Back with the dragons…You took one of them all by yourself." Her voice shook as she tried to control her tears. "I was terrified that you weren't going to make it." Damn it. She was crying. Because of him. There was no way he could just ignore that, his heart wasn't made of stone.

"Hey, look at me." He touched her shoulder and she stiffened, but didn't move. With a sigh, Gajeel used a bit of force to turn her around. Seeing her big brown eyes brimming with tears made him feel like a jerk, even if it wasn't necessarily his fault.

"I'm right here, aren't I? I handled that dragon just fine, don't know why you thought I couldn't take it." He felt a bit offended that she would worry about him, he was tough, he could handle it. Besides, he wasn't exactly used to people worrying about him. Except for Juvia, she had the bad habit of being too paranoid when it came to his well being.

"I know you could take anything, but it was a dragon. They're dangerous and I didn't… I didn't want to lose you." She admitted with a sigh and Gajeel looked away from her in order to hide the smile on his face. Her words brought a warmth, a happiness he was only getting used to.

"You shouldn't worry about me, it's a waste of time and annoying too." He replied grumpily and Levy looked at him more seriously than ever.

"Sorry to break it to you, but that's no longer an option." She firmly told him and he was surprised.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to live with it then." They shared smiles and before he knew what was happening, she had wrapped her arms around his torso in a tight hug. He considered pulling away, but decided against it. Although he would never admit it, Gajeel had been worried sick about her and was relieved that she was safe.

"Promise me you won't do something like this again." She whispered after he had wrapped his own arms around her awkwardly.

"I can't promise you that." His tone wasn't harsh, but somehow she started crying again. "I'm sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." He started panicking and Levy pulled apart, a hand drying her tears.

"It's okay, I'm just so tired. And worried." She sobbed and in the back of his mind he tried to think of Juvia and what she would do in this situation. She was good at comforting people.

"Well, the worst is over now, so how about we go to that party?" He extended a hand and she took it, both smiling at each other. It was in that moment that Gray Fullbuster showed up.

"What are you doing here, stripper?" Gajeel quickly retracted his hand while looking over Levy's shoulder and the bluenette turned around.

"I was just taking a walk." Gray replied simply, looking upset.

"Is everything okay?" Levy asked him gently and he forced a smile, arms crossed over his chest.

"Fine." He answered and Gajeel laughed, crossing his own arms.

"Don't give me that shit! You look like you haven't slept in days." Levy cast him a firm look, but he ignored her.

"Do you have a problem with me or something?" Gray asked him while raising an eyebrow.

"You can bet I do! Look, I don't know what the hell you're doing, but if you don't fix things with Juvia tonight, I won't be held responsible for my actions." He threatened and Gray looked broken at the simple mention of her name.

"We're not talking right now, so we won't be fixing anything." He told Gajeel, voice shaking a bit. Levy looked even more worried at his clear distress while the dragon slayer was getting angrier.

"You have to fix it!" He yelled in Gray's face. "She has been miserable, but she refused to talk to me. And I know you're the reason she's hurting." The ice mage looked hurt, but didn't say anything.

"You've been avoiding her, but I don't understand why. I thought things had improved between you two." Levy told him, curiously. She knew it wasn't really her business, but Juvia and Gray were both good friends and she hated seeing them miserable.

"They haven't." Gray answered simply and turned to walk away, but Gajeel grabbed his arm.

"Look, only 10 days ago you told me that you loved her. And now she's suffering and you're not willing to do anything about it? What the hell happened, Gray?" It was the first time since they had known each other that Gajeel called him by his name. An awkward silence followed before Gray broke it.

"I had a change of heart." Gray didn't turn back so that they wouldn't see how much it hurt him to say those lies.

"Bullshit!" The dragon slayer saw right through it, he knew something was off. And since Juvia refused to talk about it, perhaps Gray could put some light into the situation.

"I have to agree with Gajeel. I doubt your feelings would change so suddenly." Levy commented and Gray finally looked at them. They were surprised by how broken he seemed. He sure had been doing a great job at hiding it for the past few days.

"Would you please spot bothering me?! This is already hard enough, the last thing I need is to hear how much Juvia's suffering or to have you two meddling in our relationship." Gray screamed and there was so much pain in his tone. Levy was taken aback, but Gajeel only looked more determined.

"Okay, that's it!" He said before he grabbed Gray his collar and pressed him agains the wall.

"Gajeel!" Levy yelled in warning and he ignored her.

"You are going to talk to Juvia, right now. I don't care if it's hard for you or if your feelings have changed, you two will be talking." Gray looked a bit scared and Gajeel sighed before letting him go. "She has been having nightmares, hasn't been eating and she's barely talked to me or anyone. She needs you and if you're too much of a jerk to let her suffer, then I won't hold back anymore from kicking your sorry ass!"

"Fine." Gray sighed. "I'll talk to her." He finally agreed. He knew that the moment he saw her, the moment he was close enough to touch her, he would wish for nothing more than to hold her in his arms. He knew it was a mistake, he wouldn't be strong enough to resist her and would fail to keep her safe. But she needed him and there was no way in hell Gray would let her continue to suffer. He would make things right, without revealing his feelings. Unknown to either of them, his true feelings would indeed be revealed and everything would change that night.

* * *

 

"So, what was this about with Gray?" Natsu asked as he and Lucy were dancing to the slow tune.

"I was trying to get him to talk to Juvia, seems like things really have gone south with these two." She replied before sighing in frustration.

"Yeah, I noticed he's been avoiding her." Natsu commented as he spun her around and they glanced towards the table where Juvia was. She looked just as unhappy as Gray. Her hands were folded on her lap and she was barely paying attention to the conversation between Cana, Mira and Lisanna.

"She looks so unhappy, which doesn't make sense since last I heard she was in a happy relationship with Lyon." Lucy said and Natsu shook his head.

"I don't think they're together, he would be here if they were." Natsu added and they looked towards the table where Lyon's friends were. He was still absent from the party, which was weird.

"His absence doesn't make sense." Lucy said before she let herself fall to the side, Natsu's arm holding her in place. When she was back on her feet, both arms wrapped around his neck, she frowned.

"What is it?" He asked and she explained her theory.

"I think you might be right, Gray told me that nothing going on between them."

"So I guess the question is why isn't he with her, if she's available and Erza told us he's in love with her as well." Natsu completed her thought and she nodded.

"As I said, doesn't make sense." She said and he smirked.

"When does anything about Gray makes sense?" He replied, hoping to change the subject.

"This is just so frustrating, why can't they just get together already?!" She frowned deeply and he sighed.

"I don't know, Lucy. I ain't no expert in this romantic stuff." He replied and she smiled at him.

"Well, I have to admit that you're doing very well for a rookie." She told him and he smirked before pulling her closer so that they could kiss. By then it had been 10 days since their friends had found out that they were together and though they had overwhelmed the young couple at first, they quickly understood that Natsu and Lucy preferred to be left alone. So things hadn't changed as much as they had expected since the reveal that they were dating and they were glad for that.

"Thank you." Lucy told him after they pulled apart and he raised an eyebrow.

"For what?" He questioned and she smiled, a hand gently cupping his cheek.

"For trying to cheer me up." He smiled sweetly at her.

"Anything for you. Luce." She leaned in so that they could kiss again and this time, when they pulled apart, a smile was back on her face. However, once her eyes found Juvia, who said had stood up and said something to Cana before leaving the room, it fell.

"What is it?" Natsu asked before his gaze followed hers. "She's leaving already?" He muttered.

"That's not a good sign. We need to find Gray." Lucy told him and he shook his head.

"No, we shouldn't be meddling so much." He attempted to reason with her, but Lucy was determined.

"You heard what future me said. We can't let things end that way." She turned to him with concerned eyes and Natsu sighed.

* * *

 

_"There's one more thing I would like to mention." Future Lucy had said after she had explained the situation with the dragons and the eclipse._

_"What is it?" Lucy had asked her curiously and she had sighed._

_"I came here to change the past. And there is one thing I feel is too important to be left forgotten despite the dragons' attack being the imminent threat." Everyone had stared at her in confusion._

_"Okay. So what else do you want to change?" Mira had asked her and future Lucy had bit her lip, looking unsure._

_"I don't know if I should, it's really not my place." Seeing her indecision, Natsu had stepped closer to her and put a comforting arm on her shoulder._

_"Come on, Lucy. Don't worry, whatever you say can stay a secret if you want." He encouraged and she smiled._

_"Okay." She had agreed. "It's about Gray." This had sparkled the curiosity of all members and even Happy and Carla, who had been whispering to one another, stopped to look at her expectantly._

_"What about him?" Lucy had felt her heart beating faster with worry. According to what they knew about the future, many people had died._

_"He was an idiot, if you ask me. I clearly recall how he found out he loved Juvia, but never did anything about it." This had Natsu and Lucy rolling their eyes._

_"I'm not surprised." The fire dragon slayer had scoffed and Mira had spoken next._

_"Is this what you wish to change? Do you want us to encourage him to go after Juvia?" She had already done that and it hadn't worked so well. Not when Juvia was dating Lyon._

_"I thought you and Erza already told him to go after Juvia, but it didn't work." Natsu commented and Mira nodded._

_"She's dating Lyon." She had explained to future Lucy, who stared at them with wide eyes._

_"Really? So it's exactly like last time." She had muttered and the look in her eyes did nothing to calm their racing hearts._

_"What happened with them, Lucy?" Wendy had voiced the question in their minds._

_"It was horrible. So many lives were lost in this battle, but with them it was much worse." She had sighed deeply as they waited for her to continue. "They stayed together during the battle, since they had fought together that day. I didn't see what happened, but Gray told me about it later. They were attacked by the dragons and Lyon lost his life trying to protect Juvia. She was heartbroken, so she got distracted and wasn't unable to stop an attack coming her way. Gray told me he tried to save her, but wasn't able to reach her in time. She was killed right before his eyes." There was only silence at the end of her tale._

_"This is…" Wendy said and Mira completed._

_"Horrible." They both were nearly crying._

_"So he lost her." Lucy muttered, her heart tying in a knot. She could only imagine how much pain Gray must have felt losing her like that._

_"And he never told her that he loved her. That's what I want to change most." Future Lucy told them and Natsu nodded._

_"Don't worry, if we survive this, we'll make sure that Gray does tell her." She smiled at him, but Lucy remembered the elephant in the room._

_"What about Lyon? She's dating him, remember?" She reminded them and Mira sighed._

_"Even so, she deserves to know Gray's true feelings." They had agreed then, to make sure Gray and Juvia at least got to talking so that he could confess. It hadn't worked so far, not with him avoiding her and Juvia keeping her distance as well._

* * *

 

"I don't know what else we can do, Lucy. We already tried to get him to talk to her and it didn't work. There's only so much we can do in this situation." Natsu replied and both sighed. That was when, as if summoned, Gray Fullbuster approached them, followed closely by Gajeel and Levy.

"Do you know where she is?" He asked them quickly and the couple was stunned.

"She is…" Lucy turned to the table where Juvia had been sitting before she remembered. "She left a few minutes ago."

"Great. Guess we're gonna have to do this later." Gray said and turned to walk away, but Gajeel glared at him darkly so he froze.

"Not so fast, stripper." He glanced at the couple. "Do you know where she went?" Natsu and Lucy shook their heads.

"No, but we're dragon slayers. Finding her should be easy." Natsu replied with a shrug and Gajeel smirked.

"That's right. Go on, Fullbuster." He pushed Gray a bit and the ice mage almost fell, but managed to stay up. Natsu and Lucy, curious about where this was going, decided to follow them outside.

"So, how did you manage to persuade him to go talk to her?" Lucy asked Levy quietly while walking with her best friend on one side and Natsu on the other.

"Gajeel has his ways." Levy replied simply and they understood.

"How are things between you two, by the way? Have you talked?" Lucy asked pointedly and Levy nodded.

"Things are okay." She gave another simple answer. Before Lucy could question her further, they heard a familiar voice.

"What are you guys doing here?" Erza asked while staring at them with raised eyebrows.

"We're looking for Juvia." Lucy answered and Erza's face broke out into a knowing smile as she looked at Gray.

"That's great. She went towards the palace gardens." She pointed and the group followed in that direction, Erza happily joining them. Gray was looking more uncomfortable by the seconds as they reached her, probably because of the number of people who would be witnessing his conversation with Juvia.

"Can't you guys go back to the party? There's no need for you to stay and watch." He told them and Gajeel was quick to shake his head.

"No, I don't trust you. I want to make sure you are going to talk to her and tell her everything." There was a threatening glint in his eyes and Gray gulped.

"Fine." He let out a sigh just as they reached a great oak tree where there were two people having an argument.

"I swear to Mavis, if you even think about mentioning to Mira about this…" It was Evergreen, scolding a very uncomfortable looking Elfman.

"What are you two doing here?" Erza asked with a knowing smirk and they looked at the group with widened eyes.

"I could ask the same." Evergreen replied angrily, she was clearly unhappy about something. They took quick notice of her messy hair and Elfman's discarded blazer not far from where they were.

"We came to find Juvia." Gray whispered, knowing she was close and not wanting her to hear them. This was going to be awkward enough without her knowing that their friends would be there too.

"She's over there. Walked past us a few minutes ago, I think she's waiting for someone." Elfman told them while pointing at the tree, letting them know she was on the other side. Thankfully, there was a lot of loose foliage, so they would be able to spot what happened without being seen. The group quickly circled the tree and placed themselves on a good watching spot.

"There she is. Go, stripper." Gajeel said after they spotted the bluenette with her back to them. She wore a light blue gown and her hair was let down. Even if her back was turned, Gray knew she looked beautiful.

The iron dragon slayer gave Gray a light push and the ice mage looked around unsurely. However, before he could get out of their hiding spot and go to Juvia, she spoke.

"Thank you for coming." They looked at each other in confusion, eyes widening, before realizing there was someone else there, who appeared to be the person she had been waiting for.

"Of course." It was Lyon. Gray could see he was a little disheveled, hair messy and shirt not properly buttoned.

"I needed to talk to someone and you're the only one I can discuss this with." Lyon sighed after hearing her words.

"So I guess it's related to what happened during the dragons invasion." The bluenette confirmed with a nod.

"I know we agreed never to talk about it, as Gray requested. I understand that he didn't want our friends to worry or make a bigger deal out of it, but I can't stop thinking about it." Lyon gave her a sympathetic smile. The others cast Gray confused looks that he ignored as he cursed under his breath. Bringing them here was a terrible idea, now he wouldn't be able to avoid talking about his death. Gray was barely aware that he had removed his blazer and started unbuttoning his shirt.

"I understand, Juvia. It hasn't left my mind as well." Lyon replied and Gray was surprised he had been thinking about it. Never would he have assumed that his death would affect the older ice mage as much as it clearly did.

"I know it wasn't just a vision, that he was really gone…" She paused and took a deep breath. "I can't forgive myself." Erza looked at Gray with widened eyes and he sighed. He knew Juvia would keep blaming herself for his death, he had wanted to convince her not to do so but he couldn't approach her.

"Will you stop stripping for once?" Natsu whispered angrily and Gray realized his shirt had fallen by the dragon slayer's feet. The ice mage blushed a bit, but remained silent, focused on the ongoing conversation.

"It wasn't your fault." Lyon told Juvia gently, but she shook her head. By now she had turned around so they could see her face and the pain in her eyes made Gray's heart break even more.

"It was. I was paralyzed. If I had moved out of the way or used my magic to cancel it, he wouldn't need to sacrifice himself." Her last words left everyone staring at Gray wide-eyed. No one said anything, though, knowing it wasn't the right time.

"You know Gray, Juvia. He would have done it anyways." Lyon laughed bitterly and Juvia shook her head.

"No, he wouldn't. He's not that stupid to sacrifice himself for no reason." Lyon looked at her in shock. Gray continued ignoring the disbelieving looks he was getting from his friends.

"For no reason? Are you kidding me?" Juvia was startled by Lyon's sudden change of attitude. "Juvia, do you seriously not see it?" He added after calming himself down a bit.

"See what?" She asked, clearly confused. Gray's heart was beating wildly as he considered what Lyon was saying. Did the older ice mage know about his true feelings?

"He loves you." Lyon said so simply and Juvia stared at him open mouthed while Erza, Lucy and Natsu were smirking.

"Well, someone's said it."The red head muttered and Gray blushed, avoiding all the stares he was getting from his friends. His hands nervously began finding with his belt, but Gajeel's glare made him stop. He knew that stripping anymore wouldn't do him any good.

"That's not true." Juvia's reply surprised them greatly. They would assume she would be thrilled to hear these words, not skeptical as she seemed.

"Of course it's true. I don't know why you don't seem to want to believe it. " Lyon's reply had her avoiding his gaze while biting her lip. Gray was left immensely confused as well, he hadn't thought that pretending not to love her would work out so well. Juvia was usually so insistent when it came to their feelings that he was surprised she had so quickly assumed he couldn't love her. What he was unaware of is that Juvia did notice how his feelings for her seemed to have deepened, but she chose to ignore it.

"He can't." She said after a few moments of silence and he raised an eyebrow.

"Juvia, I've known Gray for years. When I say that he's in love with you, I am sure of it." The older ice mage said firmly and she shook her head.

"Even if he is, doesn't matter. I have to stay away from him." She looked back at him and Lyon seemed taken aback. Gray noticed Gajeel looked more confused than ever, as did Erza. He was sure everyone must be wondering why Juvia had decided to stay away from him, it was so uncharacteristic of her.

"Why? I'm confused. I thought you'd be happy to hear it, but you look as if you've just learned someone died." The ice mage inquired and Juvia looked broken, her voice was hoarse when she answered and tears were brimming at her eyes.

"He died. Because of me." Before Lyon could protest, she continued. "Don't tell me it's not my fault, I know it is. And he wasn't the first one." Those words left everyone holding their breaths in anticipation.

"You mean…" Lyon said after gulping and Juvia started fidgeting with the hem of her dress, avoiding his eyes.

"My mother was the first. I was very sick, almost dying, and she did everything she could to save me. In the end, she needed to do a blood transfusion, but since she was pregnant then, it weakened her too much. She died a few days later after giving birth to my brother." There was only silence as they tried to comprehend her words. Unknown to anyone, that was only the first bomb shell that would be dropped that night.

"Did you know about this?" Levy whispered to Gajeel, who didn't look as surprised as the others.

"Yeah, she told me about it a while ago." He replied and Gray felt jealous that she didn't confide in him about her mother's death. But he couldn't blame her, he had never given her any reason to confide in him about anything.

"I am so sorry, Juvia." Lyon finally recovered from the shock and he attempted to hug her, but she shook her head.

"I don't need comfort, it's been a long time, so I've moved on. I only brought it up so you'd understand why I need to stay away from Gray." She stared at him with determined eyes and Gray almost felt like laughing at the irony of the situation.

"I see. So you think what happened with the dragons was a sign that he'll get hurt if you two get too close." Lyon said and Juvia stared at him in shock.

"How did you figure it out so quickly?" She asked and he laughed humorlessly.

"Because I know that's what Gray is thinking right now. You two are so similar it's uncanny. You've both decided to stay away from each other since you think it's the only way to keep each other safe." She looked at him with uncertainty, disbelieving his words.

"Looks like you're not the only one who's an idiot." Gajeel whispered to the younger ice mage and Gray ignored him. He also ignored Erza's smirk.

"Give him a break, he was trying to keep her safe." Lucy said while giving Gray a sympathetic smile.

"Yeah, but he chose the stupidest way to do it. I know I would never stay away from you." Natsu butted in, giving Lucy a charming smile that she returned before they kissed. The others ignored the happy couple.

"You have to talk to her, Gray." Erza spoke firmly while also quietly so Juvia and Lyon wouldn't hear them. Gajeel remained silent, but the look he gave the ice mage said enough.

"I can't." Was Gray's simple reply and Evergreen tsked.

"Iron man is right, you're being idiotic. A man who wants to protect his love should never let her out of his sight." Gray was immensely surprised that even someone who barely knew him was lecturing him.

"Yes, you need to be a real man and go get your woman!" Elfman added.

"Will you stop pushing me? I'm not going after her!" Gray protested, but they were having none of it. Before he could understand what was happening, he had been pushed by Gajeel and fell on his butt. Right in front of Lyon.

"Gray? What are you doing here?" The older man looked at him in suspicion and surprise.

"Nothing." Gray replied quickly before pulling himself up. His gaze met Juvia's and he was overwhelmed by the pain in her eyes. "Juvia, I need to talk to you." He would keep his vow to stay away from her, but right now she needed him. She needed his comfort and reassurance that it wasn't her fault. He couldn't let her keep blaming herself for his death, specially when he saw how much it had hurt her.

"Can't you see I'm busy now?" Her icy response surprised him. "But since you are here, could you deliver this to Gajeel?" Her eyes softened and he watched in shock as she placed her hands inside her low-cut dress and pulled out a blue envelope.

"What is this?" He questioned, attempting to avoid gazing towards the spot where her hands had been. Lyon seemed to be doing the same, a light blush coloring his cheeks.

"A letter. It should explain my whereabouts for the next few days so he won't worry." Juvia replied, seeming unaware of their attempt not to stare at her chest. Gray's eyes widened as her words sank in.

"Wait, you're leaving?" There was an unsettling feeling in his stomach as he considered the possibility of her leaving. It would certainly make avoiding her easier, but Gray didn't want her to go.

"Yes. I need to have some quiet time. Alone." She firmly said before extending her hand with the letter. He didn't take it.

"I can understand that. Where are you going?" He questioned curiously. Lyon stared between the two of them silently.

"Home." Juvia replied simply and they were both confused. She had grown up in an orphanage, from what she had told her friends, so where would she go? Back to Oak Town?

"Okay. Have a nice trip, then." Gray decided against questioning it. That would show interest and he needed to make her believe that he had no interest in her. He needed her to give up on him so that avoiding her would be an easier task. And if she went away he would be able to recompose himself and suppress those stupid feelings that didn't leave him alone. Why did he have to fall in love with her?

"Okay, I can't take anymore of this!" Their attention was brought to Lyon as he snapped.

"What do you mean?" Juvia asked in confusion as the older ice mage glared at the both of them.

"You two are being so stupid I can't even…" He shook his head firmly before taking a deep breath. "Look, this isn't easy for me. Even though I have started to move on, I'm still in love with Juvia, so seeing her suffering because of you is hard. But she is suffering and I know you are too, Gray."

"Lyon, I…" Juvia tried, but he interrupted her. Gray remained silent, having known Lyon for years he understood the older man needed to get it out of his system before they could talk.

"No, listen to me. I understand what you're doing and why you're doing it. But staying away will only make you suffer more. And I don't want that. I want you to be happy, both of you. So stop being so stubborn and just get together already!" His words left Gray and Juvia stunned. Never in a million years they would have expected Lyon to tell them that. It was the most unlikely possibility.

"Did you hear that too?" Gray asked Juvia, who remained silent. The letter fell from her hands, unnoticed by either of them.

"Now that's a surprising turn of events." Lucy muttered from his spot in the shadows and Erza and Gajeel nodded. They certainly hadn't been expecting this.

"Do you really mean it?" The water mage asked Lyon after a few moments of silence and he smiled.

"Of course I do. As much of a pain as he is, Gray's like my younger brother. I want him to be happy." He gave a pointed look in Gray's direction and the young ice mage couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face.

"Thanks, Lyon. I really appreciate it." His smile then fell. "But I can't do it. Not now. It's only been 7 days, I need more time to… overcome it." He added and Juvia nodded.

"I feel the same. It will take a while before I can sleep without seeing you dying." She swallowed hard and Gray looked at her sadly.

"I'm sorry about that. But you really need to stop blaming yourself, it wasn't your fault." He said firmly and Juvia gave him a small smile.

"Thank you. I really needed to hear you say that." He returned her smile before taking a few steps towards her. Without really thinking about what he was doing, he hugged her. She wrapped her arms around him almost immediately and buried her head on his chest while Lyon watched them with a bittersweet smile.

"I know how it feels, to blame yourself for someone's death." Gray said after a few moments of silence. He had completely forgotten that their friends were hiding behind the great oak tree and that they were listening to every word.

"You do?" Juvia pulled her head away from his chest and looked at him curiously.

"Yes. I never told you this, but my master, Ur, she sacrificed herself to save me." Gray didn't know why he was talking about it, but he felt like it was long overdue. She deserved to know the truth about his past, it could help her understand him better.

"Ultear's mother." Juvia's eyes were widened as she replied and he raised an eyebrow in confusion. How did she know it? "I remember when we were in Tenrou Island, Meredy mentioned how she blamed you for the death of Ultear's mother. She later mentioned the woman's name was Ur. I didn't talk to you about it because there was so much going on back them I ended up forgetting."

"Well, she was right to blame me. It was because of my own stupidity that Ur was forced to give up her life." Gray told her sincerely and Lyon butted in.

"That's not entirely true. You weren't the only one hoping to get revenge on Deliora." He reminded the younger man, voice strained. The subject of Ur and Deliora was a tough one, but that needed to be discussed. Some wounds hadn't been closed yet and there were things that needed to be said.

"But I was the one who went after him even though I knew I was no where near strong enough to defeat him." Gray shot back, getting it out of his chest. The guilt over Ur's death had never left him. He doubted it ever truly would. He had learned to live with it, instead of trying to erase it.

Both men were so concentrated on their conversation that they didn't notice how Juvia's eyes widened when the demon's name was said or how her face paled as they continued their argument.

"You made a mistake, Gray. You were only a child back then and I'm sorry I spent so many years blaming you for her death as well." Lyon apologized sincerely and Gray's response was cut off by a gasp coming from the bluenette who was now a few steps away from them, hugging herself as if she was feeling cold despite it being July.

"Stop it!" They were concerned by how pale she was and the fact that she appeared to be shaking. From behind the bushes, Gajeel looked ready to leave his hideout and go towards her, but Erza's hand on his arm prevented him from doing so.

"What's wrong?" Gray asked the water mage before taking a step in her direction.

"You…You knew… How?" She stumbled upon her words as she tried to recompose herself. Her arms were now crossed over her chest.

"What did I know?" Gray asked and she took a few deep breaths to calm herself down.

"Deliora. How did you know him?" Her question completely threw him off guard.

"Wait, did you know Deliora?" Gray stared at her in shock. Her reaction to the demon's name showed pure terror. It was something someone would only feel if they had encountered the object of their fear. People who had heard of Deliora were scared, but not as much as Juvia clearly was.

"You never answered my question." Juvia's voice was shaking and so were her legs. She looked like she could barely keep herself up.

"Deliora was responsible for the destruction of Gray's home. Mine too." Lyon answered before Gray could.

"I had forgotten that you lived there. It's been a while since I've thought of Antartica." He commented before looking seriously at Juvia. Something was wrong, he could feel it. "But what about you? How do you know Deliora?"

Juvia's legs gave in and she fell to her knees. Tears fell from her eyes as she covered her mouth and she began mumbling something they couldn't understand, only the dragon slayers could hear it. Gajeel didn't show any signs of surprise, but Natsu's eyes widened and the group hidden behind the tree looked at him in curiosity. What was Juvia saying? What could possible make the great Natsu Dragneel completely lose his composure and almost fall down if Lucy's hand wasn't holding his arm?

"Natsu, are you okay?" She asked him worriedly.

"I don't believe it. No way!" He screamed while staring at Juvia in shock. It was impossible. Unbelievable. Could it really be true?

Barely did he know, there was more to Juvia's past than just the secret she would reveal to them soon.

* * *

 

**So, thoughts?**

**GaLe fans, are you happy?** **Did you enjoy GrayXGajeel brOTP?**

**What about the NaLu talk about Gruvia and the flashbacks? I love showing how the other characters worry about them since they're both idiots. (for now)**

**What did you think of the scenes with everyone spying on Juvia and Lyon? I love writing this kind of thing, it's always amusing. Specially the part with Elfman and Evergreen being caught.**

**Hope you liked Juvia and Lyon's friendship in this chapter. That's all there'll be to them from now on, although Lyon's feelings won't go away so quickly.**

**What are your thoughts on the ending? What did Juvia whisper? What's the deal with Deliora? (surprised no one figured out he was the one I was talking about. I guess my hints aren't as great as I had assumed)**

**Coming next: THE CHAPTER. The moment you've all been waiting for. Be prepared for romance, huge plot twists and many revelations about Juvia's past. Are you ready to find out just how deep her connection to Gray is?**

**I'll post chapter 11 once we reach 280 hits. If anyone wishes to get sneak peeks on upcoming chapters, just leave me with your email or username or anyway to contact you so I can send it to you. There's a lot more to come, guys. I have many plot twists planned and connections not just with Juvia, but other characters as well.**


	11. Broken Hearts

**Hello, dear readers! As** **promised, here's chapter 11 of Connections. The moment you've all been waiting for since chapter 1 has arrived. Hope you all enjoy!**

 

_** IMPORTANT WARNING: This chapter is M-rated because of violence and other mature contents (things are heating up here ;). It's nothing too explicit, but just to be safe, I'm rating this M.  ** _

* * *

Two Pieces-Demi Lovato

We don't know where to go, so I'll just get lost with you

We'll never fall apart, 'cause we fit together right, we fit together right

These dark clouds over me, rain down and roll away

We'll never fall apart, 'cause we fit together like

We fit together like

Two pieces of a broken heart

* * *

"You were there." Juvia repeated a few times, still in disbelief. The two men stared at her in confusion and worry.

"Juvia?" Gray asked and she looked at him, eyes brimming with tears.

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" She asked and he looked even more confused.

"Tell you what?" She swallowed hard before answering, voice shaking.

"That you were there too." She looked so lost, so broken and Gray didn't have a clue to what was going on. Lyon, though, he understood.

"Wait, did you…" He paused to take a deep breath, heart racing as he considered her words.

"Antartica. I lived there too." Silence followed her statement as both stared at her in disbelief while the group behind the tree was absolutely stunned.

"Wait, what?" Lucy muttered while Levy and Erza had their mouths open.

"Impossible." The red head whispered, looking between the three people as if searching for a confirmation.

"No way!" Gray completely lost his composure and had to grab the tree near him in order to keep himself standing. Shocked couldn't even begin to describe what he was feeling.

"How could this be? I lived in Antartica for nearly ten years, I don't recall you being there." Lyon was confused. But then he recalled that he had never met Gray either, during those 9 years, so it was possible Juvia had been there as well.

"I moved there when I was 7, a few months before Deliora…" Juvia didn't need to finish her sentence, they knew. Tears were spilling from her eyes, unstoppable.

"You were there when he attacked." Gray stated while he took a few steps in her direction, still disbelieving what was happening. Could it be that their connection ran much deeper than they had assumed?

"Yes. It was one of the worst days of my life." Juvia lowered her head as the tears kept coming. Of course, there was no need for them to know that Deliora's attack was hardly the worse she had suffered in life.

"I can't believe it! All this time, I thought I was the only one who knew what it was like, but you did too." Gray's voice was always shaking as he was overcome with so many emotions it was overwhelming. Hope. Fear. Love. Doubt.

His legs were moving of their own accord and he barely realized that he was right in front of her now, so absorbed he was in his own thoughts and emotions. The water mage stared at him and her eyes mirrored the same emotions he felt. She hadn't moved since the big revelation, still on her knees on the ground.

From afar, Lyon watched them silently, knowing better than to interrupt the moment. It wasn't about him, after all, though it hurt him to think so.

"I lost everything that day." Juvia whispered as flashbacks filled her mind.

* * *

_"Daddy, can we make chocolate pancakes for dinner?" The young girl asked her father as he sat on the couch._

_"Again? We had pancakes yesterday, sweetheart." The brown haired man replied while raising an eyebrow._

_"I know, but I want them again. Pleeeaase." She gave him her best pleading look, blue eyes that were identical to his wide open and a pout on her lips._

_"You're too much like your mother. She would always give me that look." The man replied as he picked up the little girl and placed her on his lap._

_"And you would always say yes." She told him while giggling and he smiled as well._

_"Can't say no to this cute little face." She giggled even more as he started tickling her. Soon another small voice was heard._

_"Daddy!" This time a little boy with blue hair and big brown eyes walked into the room._

_"Come here, buddy." The man called and the boy ran towards them before flinging himself at their father._

_"I'm hungry." The little boy said and the little girl excitedly spoke before the man could reply._

_"Let's have delicious chocolate pancakes for dinner!" She suggested and the boy's face lightened up._

_"What do you think, Henry?" The man asked and Henry nodded._

_"Yeah! I want pancakes!" The man laughed at his excitement while the girl gigged. At that moment, they were happy. But it ended too soon. It was only a few minutes later that they would hear the sound of houses crashing and screams of terror and pain. And then everything would fall apart._

* * *

"I lost everything too. My parents, they died to save me. They're the reason I survived the attack." Gray admitted, feeling tears of his own threatening to fall. Somehow, amongst all the pain and sorrow, he felt a sense of relief. He wasn't the only one anymore, there was someone who understood him, understood the pain of losing everything so suddenly. And for it to be her, it was so perfect he just couldn't believe it. It truly felt as if they were meant to be together.

"I'm sorry." Juvia sobbed and he couldn't take it anymore, he fell down to his knees as well, right in front of her. He put aside the fact that their friends were watching them and that Lyon was only a few feet away. All he could think about, all he could see, was her.

He had never realized it until then, but he needed her. Desperately. She had become so important to him that the mere thought losing her could break him, as it had for the past few days. Staying away had been so difficult when all he wanted was to hold her and tell her the truth. He had wanted to confess his feelings for so long now, tired of keeping it all bottled up. But he had been so afraid of losing her that he had gone against his heart's wishes and that had only caused him pain.

It had hurt her as well, he could tell. He hadn't needed Gajeel to say that she had been suffering for the past week, he knew it. After all, he was well aware that she was in love with him and so he knew that the pain he had felt over the possibility of losing her, she must have felt a hundred times worse. She must have been beyond broken. And Gray hated being the cause of her suffering, once again. He wanted to be with her, wanted to find happiness by her side. But he was still so afraid, terrified that she would slip away if he decided to just let it go.

"Juvia…" He tried to say something, but couldn't. His throat was hoarse from the tears he was trying to keep at bay and he was one-second away from completely losing it.

"You were there." She whispered once again, looking down to the floor as she cried, and Gray couldn't take it anymore. For the first time since they had known each other, he broke down. He let her see his vulnerability, let his friends see it for the first time in years. Gray Fullbuster never showed his emotions, he kept them deep inside. But that had changed after he had met her.

She had brought out a new side of him, just as he had done for her. He had become happier, even if he would deny it when his friends had asked. He had become lighter, the weight of his tragic past no longer overwhelmed him like it used to. Juvia had showed him that it was okay to let go now and then, to allow yourself to feel without fear of getting hurt.

And he was immensely grateful because without her, he would have never known what it was like to love someone with all your being. To feel this intense and overwhelming feeling that at the same time made him hotter than Natsu's flames, but also colder than Antartica during winter. He couldn't describe it, but the love he felt for her was the only certainty he had at the moment. And he hated that the fact that it had taken so long for him to realize it, for him to allow these emotions to take over. He had made her wait for so long, made her suffer because of his apparent indifference.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She was stunned when he flung himself into her arms, head buried on the crook of her neck as he let the tears fall after holding them back for so long. He cried like he had never before and didn't care at all about who was watching. All he wanted was to feel her warmth, her comfort. To feel her.

It didn't take long for her to wrap her arms around him, just as tightly. She rested her head atop of his and allowed her own tears to keep falling. "It's okay." She repeatedly whispered, even though she knew it wasn't true. It wasn't okay, he wasn't okay and neither was she. They were two broken souls, drowning in sorrows of the past. A past long gone, but that still haunted them both.

* * *

_"No, daddy!" Juvia stared in horror at the body of her father as he lay motionless beneath the ruins of their home. He had protected them when the attack came, had used his magic to prevent the ruins from falling on top of them while the two children escaped. But he had been weakened by pieces of glass diving into his body and soon he had fallen to the ground. Dead. Gone. Forever._

_"Daddy, come back." The young boy yelled while holding tightly to his older sister's hand. They were both terrified._

_"Please, daddy. Don't leave us." Juvia took a step in his direction, but then she remembered his last words to her. He had told them to run away, find somewhere safe. Juvia had promised she would do so and she never broke her promises._

_"Juvia, look!" She heard Henry yell in horror and she saw a large chair flying towards them._

_"Henry, behind me." She quickly told her younger brother and he did as told, little arms hugging her legs. She was only a child, barely 7, but Juvia knew her way around magic. She had inherited her mother's water magic after all. And she was strong, even at such a young age. It always amazed her father and others who knew her, how a small child could perform such advanced water spells and even hold her own. Juvia had always been thankful for her powers, and that day she was no exception._

_She was able to hold off the chair with ease, a simple water lock and she had sent it away. Unfortunately, she forgot to look behind her and failed to see a huge wardrobe coming their way. Henry managed to duck just in time, having seen it coming, but by the time he warned her, it was too late. She tried to send it back, but the wardrobe hit her in the temple and before she knew it, she was unconscious._

_She must have been out for only a few minutes, but so much changed over that time. She didn't know what awoke her, maybe it were the screams of sorrow from other villagers or the reminder that Henry still needed her. She sat up slowly, rubbing her injured head while groaning. It hurt. A lot. But Juvia couldn't focus on that, she needed to find Henry. She had crawled a few steps, still unable to stand up when she saw him._

_"No." She whispered as her breath got caught in her throat. He wasn't very far from her father, his body lying on the floor just as unmoving. She sped up her movements as she approached him. She knew even before she turned his body around and saw his frozen eyes and pale face. She knew that he was gone._

_"No!" A strangled scream left her mouth as she cradled his broken body in her small arms. There was blood, so much blood._

_"Henry! Please, Henry!" She begged him to move, to give a signal that he was still alive. He couldn't be gone, only a few seconds ago they had been running away side by side. He had been okay, aside from fear. "I should've protected you." She whispered after a few minutes of crying and screaming her heart out. She felt so much pain she thought she was going to die. That didn't sound so bad, she thought._

_But she didn't die._ _Because of the woman, the one who had 'rescued her.' And for many years to come, Juvia would remember that night and she would regret it because if she had stayed, she would have died with them. She would have found peace instead of being constantly haunted by nightmares, memories of them. Her family._

_For so long she had suffered because of their loss, until Gray had come into her life. And he had become her entire world, her focus had been on him and only him. That's how Juvia had finally been able to move on and she was immensely thankful to him for allowing her to escape her demons._

* * *

"We should go." Lucy said quietly while they watched the young couple hold each other.

"Yeah, it doesn't feel right to stay here, we're intruding." Levy agreed, but Natsu shook his head stubbornly.

"If Lyon can stay, so can we. It's not as if Gray doesn't know we're watching." Lucy glared at him, wondering how he could be so insensitive.

"This is a private moment, Natsu. They deserve to be alone." She told him firmly and Erza glared at both.

"Will you two shut up? I can't hear them." They stared at her in confusion, but she simply ignored them and looked back at Gray and Juvia.

The ice mage removed himself from her arms after a few minutes of crying and he attempted to dry his tears while staring at her intensely. During his break down, he had reached two conclusions. First, he was now absolutely certain that he loved Juvia Lockser more than anything. And second, there was no way in hell he would be able to stay away from her after what he had just learned. He wasn't that strong.

"Are you okay?" She asked him ever so gently, a soft hand placed on his cheek as she attempted to dry his tears.

"Not even close." He replied hoarsely and she gave him an understanding look, letting her hand fall down so she could hold his.

Juvia knew what it was like, having to relive the past. Part of her felt guilty for telling him about Deliora and Antartica, but the knowledge that they had once lived in the same village was something she couldn't just ignore. It was a sign, she just wasn't sure of what.

"I thought I could stay away from you, keep my distance so that you'd remain safe. But I'm not that strong." He admitted, squeezing her hand tightly.

"Neither am I." She said before sighing deeply. "It shouldn't be so hard, protecting the people I love. But as you know now, I'm not so good at that." He knew then she was talking about her brother and how guilty she felt over not being able to protect him.

"That's not true. You've protected me so many times, Juvia. Back in Tenrou Island, for example." They grimaced at yet another hard memory. "I just wish I could do the same for you."

"What are you talking about? Are you forgetting that just a few days ago you died trying to save me?" She questioned, letting go of his hand. Gray winced at the memory.

"I was selfish, I didn't even consider the fact that you could have dodged that laser or used your magic to protect yourself." He admitted and she looked like she wanted to protest, but he continued. "All I could think about is that I couldn't lose you." She stared into his eyes, seeming to be searching for something.

"Gray, why did you…" He knew what she was going to ask.

"Because I love you." The ice mage confessed at last, so quietly their friends didn't hear him, only the dragon slayers. Both smirked. After they whispered to the others what Gray had said, Lucy, Levy and Erza had bright smiles on their faces while Elfman whispered something about Gray 'finally manning up' and Evergreen agreed before they shared an intense look they thought no one else saw.

Juvia stared at the ice mage with widened eyes, a hopeful glint in them.

Of course, she had suspected it. From the moment he had kissed her, back on the Grand Magic Games, she had sensed his feelings might have grown. But she had forced herself to ignore it, knowing better than to get her hopes up. She had done so many times and only ended up broken.

After Gray had died for her, she had almost been sure. She had known, however, that it didn't necessarily mean he loved her. He was, after all, a hero. Saving people was an instinct, even if he didn't like her he would have saved her. Besides, fear and pain had made her step away from him and she couldn't allow herself to think about his feelings when it would only make it harder.

"Are you...Are you sure?" She asked, swallowing hard while trying to contain the new flow of tears. It was no use.

"Yes." He spoke without hesitation and Juvia's heart was filled with joy. "I'm sorry I took so long to realize it, Juvia. But the truth is I am completely, hopelessly in love with you." Gray vaguely recalled Mira's speech she had wrote for him when he first planned on confessing and mentally thanked her. "I can't fight these feelings anymore, even if it means you might be in danger because of me. I just... I love you too much to let you go." He finished, looking expectantly at the woman who held his heart.

"I love you too. More than anything." Juvia replied and her face broke out into the most beautiful smile, though the tears kept falling. He didn't hesitate to bring her closer, both arms wrapping around her waist tightly. She placed both hands on his face, looking into his eyes with so much love and adoration he thought his heart might burst from happiness. He hoped his own eyes reflected how much he adored her as well.

It wasn't long before they leaned in and kissed, gently yet intensely, passionately, desperately, just like that first time. All their love, their shared pain and sorrow were poured into the kiss as they tried to make the other understand without needing words. And they understood. The kiss symbolized a new beginning for them.

They were completely oblivious to the rest of the world, unaware that Lyon quietly watched them with a bittersweet smile before he decided to leave.

"Okay, now we really should go." Lucy said while looking away from the couple with a small blush on her face.

"But we just got to the good part." Erza protested and they all stared at her with raised eyebrows.

"Come, Titania, let them have their moment. Alone." Gajeel spoke firmly and the red head sighed. With one last glance towards the newly formed couple, she followed her friends as they silently left the scene. Each member of the group felt happiness knowing that Gray and Juvia would be okay, there was no reason to worry. They would be happy, together.

* * *

Lyon walked away from the couple as silently as he could, understanding they needed to have their private moment. The news that Juvia had lived in the same village as him and Gray and suffered the same fate thanks to Deliora was still burning in his mind. It was unbelievable, how the most unlikely possibility had become true. Her connection to Gray ran deeper than any of them had imagined and Lyon wasn't sure if it was a good sign or a bad one. He hoped everything would be okay between them.

"They'll be fine, they have each other." He sighed, watching them confess their feelings for each other and finally get together had pained him, although not as much as he had expected. Lyon took that as a good sign, even though it had only been 11 days since Juvia had broken his heart, seems like he had already started the process of moving on. He knew the only reason he was going forward with his decision to do so is because he seeing her heartbreak after Gray died had opened his eyes to the truth.

Of course, Lyon had been aware that she was in love with Gray before. It had been clear as day, no one had any doubts. But being in love with her himself, Lyon had hoped her feelings might change. Even after her rejection, his stubborn heart still believed she could love him one day. But then Gray died and Juvia had been so broken, her screams of pain and sorrow had been so agonizing that Lyon finally realized it. There was no chance for them. She loved Gray too much, her heart had no space for anyone else.

He saw it in the way she looked like she had died herself after Gray was gone. Seeing her body lying next to his sort-of-younger brother, just as still as the dead ice mage, Lyon knew. He had no choice but to let her go.

But letting go isn't easy, his heart still wanted to hold on. And fighting against his inner desires had been hard, but he had managed to stay away from both of them for a week. Until Juvia had contacted him, asking him to meet her. She had said it was important and Lyon hadn't hesitated to go. He would never deny her help, whether he loved her or not.

It was fortunate that Gray had appeared, because Lyon had been close to losing it. Seeing her in pain, suffering over Gray's death and blaming herself, he had been so close to taking advantage of her broken state and asking her to give him another chance. He hated himself for thinking it, knowing it was wrong, but he couldn't stop his heart from hoping.

But once again hope brought him misery when Gray appeared and Lyon had seen so clearly how much he was hurting, how he loved Juvia and wanted to be with her. Seeing these two being in love yet deciding to stay apart had angered him. They were so lucky, to have someone return their love. They were being stupid and Lyon hadn't been able to take it anymore. He had snapped at them, begged them to see what he could see, to stop being so stubborn and just be happy already.

He didn't even know why he had told them that, it was the opposite of what he felt. But then he realized, even though his heart was broken, he cared about them, even Gray. He didn't want to be the one who stood between their happiness, so he had given them his blessing even if indirectly and unconsciously.

"I wonder why doing the right thing only brings us so much pain sometimes. " He muttered bitterly as he crossed through the castle gates. He wasn't going to the party, there was nothing for him there.

"At least she's happy. That's what I need to focus on." Lyon tried his best to suppress the anger and sorrow that threatened to overcome him, the desire to go back there and beg Juvia to be his. He couldn't. He needed a distraction.

He sped up his movements, wanting to arrive at his location as quick as possible. He was so glad that he had found a way to keep his mind off what had been going on, to distract himself from his pain and sorrow. It had worked for the past few days, so he knew it would work tonight as well.

A few minutes later, he finally arrived at the inn where he had been staying alone, not too far from the castle. Since Lamia Scale was the second most popular guild in Fiore, they had been able to achieve separate rooms for the members unlike Fairy Tail, who had needed to use one room for all members of their team. Lyon had never been more glad for the money his guild had, there would be no one else there to know what would happen. It would remain a secret, just as he wanted it to be.

"Hey, you're back!" Lyon smiled towards the person sitting on the queen sized bed. She was wearing her usual red dress, her cape had been dropped over a chair. Her hair was loose now, pink waves covering her back and shoulders. The boots she usually wore were by the chair as well and she was comfortably sitting on the bed.

"Hello, Meredy." Her smile immediately turned into a frown as she took note of his sad tone.

"What's wrong? Is Juvia okay?" She stood up from the bed and walked his way as he closed the door behind him before locking it.

"She's fine, she's with Gray right now." Understanding the hidden meaning of his words, Meredy nodded as she tried her best to contain her excitement at the news.

"I'm sorry." She told him as she was now in front of him. Lyon gave her a weak smile while he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"It's okay. I just need to take my mind off it." She nodded in understanding before gently removing his cape. Lyon wasted no time in taking off his blue and yellow blazer and white button up shirt before he kissed her. It was intense and desperate, but there was no passion. They weren't a couple, weren't in love. Their kisses didn't have the same meaning as Gray and Juvia's had.

"You know, maybe you should talk about it. It might help." Meredy pulled apart and kept her hands pressed on his naked chest, his were still wrapped around her waist.

"You've said that many times, Meredy." She sighed and removed his arms from around her waist.

"I'm just saying, this isn't a healthy way to deal with heartbreak. I feel like it's wrong, what we've been doing." She admitted and Lyon was taken aback. It had been her idea in the first place. But truth be told, she had been vulnerable on the first time they had been together, having just lost her mother that night.

"It's not wrong. We're two adults, dealing with our problems the best way we can." He removed the distance between them and kissed her again, more gently this time. It usually helped, kissing her. Even if it wasn't romantic, it did distract him from his thoughts.

"You mean escaping our problems." She said firmly after they parted. Lyon removed his hands from her waist.

"So what are you saying? Do you want to stop?" He knew they probably should, knew that sleeping with her while he was still in love with Juvia was a terrible idea. But he was broken and being with Meredy had helped him stay together, even if it was only an illusion.

"I don't know. Everything feels like it's falling apart, I just don't know what to do anymore." She sighed, suddenly looking lost. Lyon understood exactly what she was feeling.

"I know. But I need you now. Please, help me forget about the pain." She looked unsure and he gave her his best pleading look."Please, Meredy. I really need to feel something other than heartbreak right now."

"Okay. You sure know how to be convincing." She replied after considering his words for a few moments, raising her hand so she could gently touch his face. His face broke into a small smile as he moved in to kiss her again.

It wasn't long before his hands found the zipper of her dress and he slowly pulled it down, waiting to see if she would protest. Once she didn't, he finished pulling it down before breaking their kiss so that he could remove it.

"Thank you." He said after she had been stripped of it and she didn't reply, instead bringing his face close to hers for another heated kiss. He wasted no time in pulling her up and she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, her legs locking around his waist. He started walked towards the bed, nearly tripping over her boots.

Lyon gently placed her on the bed, her hair spread across the bed like a pink blanket and Lyon couldn't help but notice she was beautiful. But she wasn't… He settled himself on top of her and began trailing a path of kisses along her neck, stopping himself from continuing the thought.

"You know, we are going to talk about it afterwards." She said breathlessly as he kissed her shoulder,. Her hands stopped exploring his naked chest and he stopped to look at her.

"We'll see." He replied with a small smirk before he kissed her lips again and Meredy couldn't stop thinking that this was definitely wrong. They should be discussing their problems, not avoiding them. However, Lyon wasn't the only one who was broken and needed a distraction from the real world, so she allowed him to keep kissing her even though she knew his mind was on Juvia. She tried to stop own mind from thinking about Ultear, even if briefly.

It felt good to let go of the pain, of the sorrow and heartbreak of losing her mother. That was exactly why Meredy had suggested to Lyon that they help each other out. She knew he had been suffering as well and thought that sleeping together was a pleasant way for them to forget about everything. It's true that she had been vulnerable that night, wounds still fresh, but her decision hadn't been driven by her pain. It was the knowledge that it would work that made her suggest her plan to Lyon. She knew nothing was better for distracting your mind than sex.

He had agreed because he was hurting, but also, they were somewhat friends, so it wasn't that crazy. They had connected after that afternoon he poured his heart to her and so it wasn't like they were two complete strangers sleeping together. They weren't intimate either, the sole purpose of their nights together was to distract, not form any sorts of bonds. They were two friends helping each other out, nothing more. Besides, it was just a temporary arrangement, at least that's how they wanted it.

They would have never expected their lives to become so complicated afterwards, but it seems that when it comes to love and heartbreak, nothing is ever simple.

* * *

"Good night, Erza." The red head was immensely surprised to encounter Jellal near the palace, he should be as far away from that place as possible.

It had been a few minutes since she had left Gray and Juvia alone, along with the others. They had decided to go their separate ways. Levy, Gajeel, Lucy and Natsu had returned to the party while Elfman and Evergreen had disappeared on them, after threatening them if they said anything. The others had promised the two to keep their secret, although it wasn't really a secret anymore. Everyone knew they were together.

"Jellal? What are you doing here?" Erza questioned him, curious.

"I was just looking for Meredy. She's been disappearing a lot these days." He replied and she could tell he was nervous and a bit uncomfortable. The red head knew exactly why. It had been a week, but she remembered clearly what happened between them that night, how she had confessed her feelings for him before passing out.

"Oh. I wish you good luck, then." She gave him a tight smile before turning around and walking away. She couldn't face him, not after she had confessed to love him and he had avoided her for the past few days. It was a clear rejection, in her eyes, and she had been trying her best no to think about it. Being so close to him after what had happened hurt her and the last thing Erza wanted at the moment was to deal with her broken heart.

"Wait!" Jellal called and his tone was so desperate she stopped.

"Is there something you want to say?" She turned to look at him, eyebrows raised and face impassive, emotionless. She wouldn't allow him to see how much she was hurting or how his actions had affected her. Not even Jellal would be allowed to have power over her, at least to his knowledge.

"You know." He swallowed hard and Erza looked at him in confusion. She had no idea what he was referring to, so she only raised her eyebrows higher.

"Know what?" She asked and Jellal sighed deeply before he closed the distance between them. He was suddenly close, too close. Her stubborn heart started beating faster with hope and she cursed it. Cursed herself for being so affected by him. She was Erza Scarlet, the strongest mage in Fairy Tail. This lovesick, scared, hopeful girl was nothing like her.

"You must know. Why else would you have confessed your feelings even after I asked you not to?" She was taken aback by his reply and stared at him open mouthed.

"Jellal…" She tried to say something, but nothing came out as his arms wrapped tightly around her waist and suddenly she was pressed against him, she could feel his heart beating now, just as wildly as hers. Her own arms wrapped around his neck as they stared intensely at each other.

"I'm sorry." He whispered gently, eyes avoiding hers. "Sorry I have avoided you, sorry I made you suffer for so long. I am truly sorry, Erza, for everything." She was touched by his apology, though it was unnecessary. She had long since forgiven him.

"You idiot." She grabbed his head and forced him to look at her. "I'll never understand why you refuse to accept my forgiveness." She shook her head while laughing humorlessly.

"I don't deserve it." He replied brokenly and Erza stared at him firmly.

"Stop being so stubborn and just let me help you." He looked stunned and Erza was determined. Even if he didn't love her, she wouldn't let him go. Not yet.

"You have to let me go. It's best for both of us if we stay away from each other." He said, as if reading her thoughts. She shook her head vigorously, her hands falling to his shoulders.

"No, it wouldn't. I can't let you go." She told him firmly and before she could stop herself, the words came out of her mouth. "I love you." The confession caught both of them by surprise, his eyes widened while Erza tried her best not to appear as nervous as she was. She wasn't in danger of passing out now, there was no escaping his answer.

"Erza…" Jellal swallowed hard, looking conflicted. Her heart beat furiously inside her chest and Erza knew she couldn't take it if he rejected her, even though she couldn't be sure he would do so.

"Don't say anything." She pleaded and he looked into her eyes, she didn't even realize there were tears falling down her face until his gentle hands started wiping them.

As she requested, he said nothing. But what he did, well, she hadn't been expecting it. Before she knew what was happening, he had brought her face closer to his, still staring intensely into her eyes. She was overwhelmed by the pain reflected in his, but she didn't have time to think. With another deep sigh, he closed his eyes and suddenly he was kissing her.

She was caught by surprise once again, but easily relaxed and kissed him back. It felt more wonderful than she could have dreamed and she had to hold onto his shoulders to keep her legs from falling, they were suddenly so weak. His hands left her face and moved down to her shoulders and then her waist as he brought her closer.

Erza knew then. She knew he was just as broken as she was and needed her as much as she needed him. She vowed to herself that she wouldn't let him go this time, they would find a way to fix their broken hearts together.

* * *

Gray and Juvia pulled apart from their kiss a few minutes later, both had wide smiles on their faces. He kept his arms around her waist and she didn't pull her own from around his shoulders as they stared at each other dreamily. "Is this real?" She asked breathlessly and Gray chuckled.

"Maybe another one will make it real." He told her and her smile widened before she kissed him excitedly, unintentionally knocking him on the ground. He was barely aware of pain as his head bumped on the grass. His arms explored her exposed back, since her gown was backless, one of his hands undoing the lace that kept her hair tied up. Meanwhile, Juvia kept one hand on his shoulder and the other explored his naked chest. He shivered with the feeling of her cold hands on his warm skin.

"Definitely real." Juvia said after she pulled away, sitting up while he remained on the ground, too stunned from her passionate kiss.

"I can't believe it's taken us so long." He commented breathlessly.

"Well, someone was a little slow." She told him while raising her eyebrows.

"You can punish me for that later. Right now, I just want to be with you." He pulled her back to him and she happily settled her head on his chest, wrapping her arms around him.

"This is nice." Juvia muttered after sighing in content.

"Yeah." He replied simply, running his fingers through her long blue hair. There was comfortable silence for a few minutes until she broke it.

"We have to talk." She whispered before pulling herself off him and onto the ground. She rolled on her side and rested her head on an elbow while looking at him.

"I guess we do." He sighed. "Look, Juvia, I am so sorry that I…" He stopped talking and stared at her in surprise when she shook her head.

"No, not about that. We've already cleared up that you were an idiot." He raised an eyebrow at her last word, but said nothing. "What's going to happen now?" At first he looked at her in confusion, but once her words clicked in he felt the familiar fear as he recalled the promise he had made to himself. A promise he didn't think he could keep anymore.

"I don't know. I want to be with you, I really do. But…" He didn't need to finish, she understood.

"I know. You're scared that something terrible might happen if we get too close." He confirmed with a nod and she sighed deeply. "I feel the same. I'm terrified, Gray. But I know that I can't stay away from you anymore." Her free hand gently touched his cheek as she looked into his eyes, intensely, determinately.

"What do we do, then?" He was unsure, confused, afraid. And Juvia didn't have all the answers. However, as she recalled a recent conversation with Erza, she knew what they should do.

"We should try to go one day at a time. Not think much about the future or worry about what might happen. Or else we'll go crazy." She replied as she let her hand fall so it could grab his. He squeezed it before sighing.

"I guess you have a point. We can't know the future, so we can't know what awaits us. We need to have faith that everything will be okay." He knew it was right and cursed himself from not thinking it before. It was hard to be positive when so many horrible things happened in your life.

"Exactly." She gave him a short kiss and once she pulled apart, they were back to smiling at each other.

"But I want you to promise me that you'll be careful." He looked at her with concern, his tone more serious than ever. Juvia knew that he needed that promise, that it would ease his worries.

"I do. As long as you do the same. No more being reckless." She pointedly said and Gray nodded before bringing her closer so she could lie on top of him once again.

"No more being reckless. I promise." He said before kissing the top of her head. She placed her hand on top of his on her stomach.

As Gray held her close, he suddenly remembered that their friends were there and his face heated up. He stood up abruptly, shocking Juvia, and looked for them until he noticed that there was no one else there. Even Lyon was gone. "Strange." He muttered and Juvia sat up as well.

"What's strange?" She asked before her gaze followed his."Lyon's gone." She said in confusion.

"He probably decided to give us some space." He told her upon noticing her worried look.

"I hope he'll be okay, this couldn't have been easy for him." She said and Gray attempted an encouraging smile.

"He'll be fine. He wants us to be happy, he said so himself. He just needs a little time." He reassured her and Juvia decided not to think about it at the moment. She wanted to focus on the happiness she felt that Gray had finally returned her feelings and they were together at last. She crawled towards him before wrapping her arms around his middle from behind and placing her head on his shoulder.

"Everything will be okay." She whispered and he nodded in agreement. They would be fine, he hoped. They would protect each other, no harm would come to either of them.

In the back of her mind, Juvia thought back to the events of Antartica and the woman who had rescued her. A chill went down her spine and she suddenly felt cold, stepping away from Gray as she crossed her arms while shivering. The ice mage stared at her in concern before standing up. She looked at him in confusion as he walked towards the tree before coming back with his blazer. With a small blush, he offered them to her and she gladly accepted it, though she wasn't cold. She didn't want him to worry, they needed a break from that, so she simply smiled before kissing him again.

As they remained there, happily settled in each other's arms while they silently watched the star filled sky, Juvia couldn't shake off the feeling that something wasn't right.

* * *

**BOOOOOOOOOOOOM! I KNOW! THIS IS CRAZY! Bet no one saw it coming!**

**Well, what did you think? Did anyone consider the possibility that Juvia and Gray had a childhood connection? The flashbacks in chapter 3 were my biggest clue to this revelation.**

**Did you enjoy the flashbacks to Juvia's past? There will be more as the story unfolds. You can expect GrayXSilver flashbacks as well.**

**Are you happy now, Gruvia fans? Did you like Gray's confession? From now on, you'll be getting mostly happy chapters about these two.**

**The same can't be said for all the other couples, though.** **Nalu are going to have a hard time with future Lucy's death and GaLe's development will take a while.**

**As for Jerza, well, it will take a while before these two can truly be together as a couple. Don't forget, Jellal's a wanted criminal after all (and a big idiot who thinks he's as bad as Zeref). By the way, did you like their scenes? You're welcome for that kiss ;)**

**Lastly, let's talk about the other main couple of this story, Lyon x Meredy. Do you like them? Do you understand the reasons behind their decision to start sleeping together? I know it's too fast, but that's just how their relationship will be portrayed. The feelings part will take a while, though.**

**Next chapter: Gruvia traveling together to Antartica, more on Lyredy and another revelation.**

**It will be posted once we reach 320 hits.**

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	12. Piecing Back Together

**Good afternoon, dearest readers! As promised, here I bring chapter 12 of Connections. First of all, I want to leave an extra thanks for all the amazing people who gave hits and kudos to this story. :) :) It really makes me happy to see you guys are enjoying it even though there are no comments. **

**Now we've reached the end of Part 1 of this story or the Pre-Gruvia part. From now on these two will be together, so you can expect many sweet secenes and mostly happy times. Of course, the story's far from over** **and there's a lot of drama to come for everyone.**

**I hope everyone was satisfied with the explanations last chapter and that they were believable. Now you know what happened to Juvia's family, but her mother remains a mystery. So don't forget about her, Juliet Lockser's an important part of the story and there will be more about her soon.**

**Happy reading everyone!**

 

 

* * *

I See The Light-Tangled

And at last I see the light

And it's like the fog has lifted

And it's warm and real and bright

And the world has somehow shifted

All at once, everything is different

Now that I see you

* * *

1 hour after Gray and Juvia finally got together as an official couple, the party inside the palace was at full swing. Levy and Lucy, both drunk, were dancing and laughing together while Natsu watched them with a smile. Gajeel was currently talking to Rogue, his younger brother, while Sting tried to catch Natsu's attention, to no avail. Mirajane sat with Lisanna and Cana, the three avidly discussing Elfman and Evergreen's whereabouts and the fact the two were probably hooking up.

Everyone was happy, specially those who knew of the two lovebirds who had finally gotten together. They hadn't mentioned it to anyone else in the guild, knowing Gray and Juvia would like to have privacy and when they were ready, they would tell everyone.

"You are so funny!" Lucy laughed wholeheartedly at something Levy had said while the blue haired girl was just as amused.

"I know." She replied with a smirk and the two friends hugged, still laughing.

"Those two are just embarrassing themselves." Carla tsked from her spot by Wendy and Chelia's side.

"They're just having fun, Carla. And they deserve to, after everything that happened." The young dragon slayer gently told her exceed.

"Natsu, you should stop her before she does something stupid." Carla turned to the other dragon slayer who stood near them.

"Nah, everything's under control." He dismissed her worried look, but soon his eyes widened when Lucy threw her shoes in the air, hitting Kagura, and went for the zipper of her dress next. "Shit!" He yelled before he ran towards her, knocking over a few guests. "Lucy, stop it!" He firmly told his girlfriend while grabbing her arms to stop her from removing her dress. Levy watched them with interest, still laughing, while Kagura glared at the blonde, being held by Milliana.

"Naaatsu! Stop ruining the fun!" Lucy complained while trying to get free.

"You're way too drunk." He mentally face palmed and cursed himself for letting her drink so much.

"Am not." She tried again and he had to hold her tighter.

"Yeah! No one is drunk here! We're just having fun!" The dragon slayer turned to Levy and his eyes widened once he realized she had removed her light green jacket and was about to remove her own dress.

"Don't do it!" He yelled, unable to stop her since he was still holding Lucy off. Thank the gods for dragon slayer hearing, because Gajeel showed up in lightening speed and he was able to stop her from stripping.

"Damn it, I can't keep my eyes off you for one second, shrimp!" He complained and Levy laughed, Lucy soon joining her.

"You guys are so funny!" The blonde girl screamed and the dragon slayers shared desperate looks.

"Is everything okay here?" They turned their heads to the new guest and Natsu and Gajeel's eyes widened once they spotted a smiling Juvia.

"Juvia, you're here!" Natsu nervously said.

"Yes. Sorry I took so long, I was…busy." She smiled dreamily while thinking of the wonderful time she had spent with Gray. They had spent the past hour just lying on the grass quietly, his arms wrapped around her waist while they made small talk. It had been amazing and she was beyond happy.

"Busy, huh? What were you doing?" Lucy asked her suggestively and she blushed.

"Nothing." She replied quickly before turning towards Gajeel and handing him an envelope.

"Here. I just wanted to give you this before I go." They stared at her in confusion and the dragon slayer reluctantly took it.

"What's this?" They had completely forgotten about the letter Juvia had mentioned to Gray.

"Ohh, I wanna see it." Lucy excitedly said and tried to jump out of Natsu's arms, almost knocking him to the ground. Levy stared at the envelope curiously.

"It's just an explanation to what I'll be doing for the next few days. I should be back in Magnolia soon." Juvia explained and both men stared at her with widened eyes, while Lucy pouted due to being trapped and Levy remained silent.

"Wait, where are you going?" Gajeel asked her in concern and she gave a sad smile.

"Home. I haven't been there in a while." An understanding look came to his face while Lucy looked bored.

"You're leaving us?" Levy started crying and Gajeel patted her back awkwardly while trying to get her to stop.

"Come on, shrimp, she'll be back soon." Juvia gave him a sympathetic look.

"Yes, I won't be gone for long. I should be back in a few days." She looked reassuringly at the weeping blue haired girl and Levy looked at her with tearful eyes.

"Do you promise" Juvia smiled gently at her friend, she thought it was quite adorable.

"Of course. I should really get going now, Gray's waiting for me." This new piece of information had both men staring at her curiously.

"The ice princess is going with you?" Natsu asked and Juvia blushed furiously. Gajeel narrowed his eyes.

"Yes, it's a long story, we'll tell everyone once we're back." She was clearly in a rush and the iron dragon slayer knew better than to argue with her when she looked so happy, so he swallowed his concern and gave her a tight smile.

"Alright then. Be sure to tell Fullbuster he'd better behave if he wishes to keep all his fingers intact when you return." He gave her a pointed look and Juvia blushed even harder.

"Thank you. I'll be fine." She reassured him before giving him an award hug, since he was still holding onto Levy, who had buried her head in his chest and was almost asleep.

"Have a nice trip." Natsu told her, smirking a little. She simply nodded and wished them good luck before she left.

"I don't like this."The iron dragon slayer said as he watched her walk away and Natsu looked puzzled.

"Thought you wanted her to be happy, with Gray." He raised an eyebrow.

"Being happy and traveling together are completely different. Things could happen in this trip." Catching on to his meaning, Natsu laughed and shook his head.

"I don't think you have anything to worry about. If it took Gray this long to confess, it will take him a while to take things one step further." Gajeel still looked unconvinced.

"You're forgetting that we're talking about stripper here." He said and the fire dragon slayer laughed even further. It was fun seeing Gajeel playing the overprotective brother, they rarely got to see that. He could only imagine how much fun he would have once Gray and Juvia returned from their trip.

* * *

_8 days later..._

_In Antartica..._

"Is this it?" Gray asked his girlfriend as they stared at the improvised tombstone in the right corner of the village. It had been a few days since they had arrived in Antartica and they had been staying at a hotel in another village about 2 hours away, one that hadn't been destroyed. The past few days had been quiet, they had mostly explored the other village and just spent time together.

Gray had to admit, he had a great time despite the fact that being in Antarctica brought back memories he would rather forget. He was surprised that he hadn't had many nightmares while they were there, but he guessed Juvia's presence calmed him. They had rented only one room at the hotel since it was cheaper and they were used to doing so during the missions they went on together.

They had slept on the two single beds initially, but after 2 nights of both barely sleeping due to constant nightmares, Juvia had suggested, that they joined the beds together. She had come off shyly and they had shared equal blushes. Truthfully, she hadn't needed to explain her assumption that being close to each other might help with their nightmares. Gray had been thinking the same thing, but it hadn't felt right to ask her to share a bed when they had only been together for 2 days. Her request had caused him to be relieved since he didn't need to suggest it.

Just as they had thought, sleeping closer to each other did help. Although the nightmares remained, it was easier for them to snap out of it and calm down since the other was close. After 3 days in this new routine, they found themselves sleeping rather comfortably in each other's arms. Even though both felt it was too early, it also felt very natural.

Juvia slept peacefully for the next few nights, only waking up twice unlike the first few nights when she barely slept. Although he didn't sleep much, too afraid of the nightmares that would follow, Gray found that her presence comforting. It was like just her being there caused him to feel a sense of tranquility and peace. One more reason to love her, to cherish her, to thank her.

Gray had vowed to himself after they had gotten together that he would do everything he could to make her happy and make up for all the time they had lost because of his stupidness. So everyday he would tell her again and again how he loved her and he would do little things he knew would please her.

Breakfast in bed was one of them, but it hadn't worked since Juvia was an early riser and she usually woke up before him. So he took her to all these romantic places in the town that he would have never gone to before. He let her hold his hand when they were in public because he knew that she liked it and, honestly, he did too. He even kissed her a few times during their trips around town, after cautiously checking no one was staring at them. It amazed him how much he changed in only a few days, but he liked it.

He liked being more confident, less embarrassed or afraid to show his affections in public. He assumed his reluctance to do so before had been a side-effect of his frozen heart. Now that Juvia had broken all of his walls and filled his heart with happiness, he didn't feel the need to hide his affections anymore. Gray still had his doubts on whether he would act like this once they returned to Magnolia, though. Being affectionate in public when no one knew them was one thing, but with their crazy and nosy friends it was different.

Truth be told, he wasn't looking forward to being back. It's not as if he didn't miss their friends, but being with Juvia alone was wonderful and he feared things might not be this great once they returned home. Specially once he talked to Gajeel, who he was sure wasn't too happy about their little trip together. He never liked when Juvia went on missions with Gray alone.

"Yes, it is." Juvia's reply brought him back to reality and Gray squeezed her hand tightly as both stared at the grave. It had two names carved into it, but time had made it impossible to read them. He knew, though, she had told him exactly their names when the couple had discussed the real reason they had come back to Antartica.

It was because of today's date: July 22nd. The anniversary of their parents' death and the destruction of Antartica. That was why Juvia had decided to come here and why he had joined her. Now that he knew they shared the same tragic past, he had jumped at the opportunity to spend such a sad day in her company, instead of being alone like usual. It felt nice to have someone who understood what he had gone through, and Gray couldn't be more grateful to have her there.

"Do you want to say something?" He asked her and she nodded before kneeling on the ground, right in front of the grave. Snow fell around them and it had covered the grave before Juvia used her water magic to remove it.

"Hello, daddy. It's been a while." She whispered before sniffling. Unsure whether she wanted him to join her and provide her with support, Gray decided to stay a bit behind. "I know I should have come back sooner and I'm sorry. The past few years have just been crazy." She laughed softly and Gray could hear her sobs. Unable to take it anymore, he joined her on the ground, bringing her closer to him. She settled her head on his shoulder while he wrapped his arms around her.

"Well, this time I didn't come alone." She continued, voice hoarse and tears still falling. "I'm sure you already know about Gray since you've probably been watching over me from wherever you are." She laughed again and he felt his heart breaking at the pain in her voice.

"He's been helping me move on and I love him so much." She looked right into his eyes when she said it and Gray smiled at her before brushing her flowing hair, due to the wind, aside. Every time she said it, his heart was filled with happiness unlike anything he's ever felt before.

"And I love you. More than you'll ever know." He whispered, looking at her with adoratio, and her smile enlarged. Her soft hands touched his face, while he brought her closer. They kissed then, softly and gently. Juvia loved his kisses, she could always feel just how much he loved her and she hoped he could feel her love as well.

They pulled apart a few moments later, both feeling warmer despite the coldness of the world around them.

"You see, daddy? He's taking care of me, so you don't need to worry because I will be okay, as long as he's by my side." Juvia looked back to the grave, still in Gray's embrace. "It's sad that you didn't get to meet him, you'd have liked him. Or not. He was kind of an idiot before." The ice mage didn't say anything, knowing she was right. It amazed him when she called him an idiot, he had never thought that Juvia would ever do something like that.

It was proof that she had changed as well since they had gotten together, growing more confident and she had pulled him down from the pedestal where she used to keep him. He was glad that she now treated him more like the human being he truly was than the god she used to view him as.

"Yeah, but things have changed. You've made me a better person." Gray told her, smiling. She smiled as well before they kissed once again. Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, bringing him as close as possible. She felt so cold and if there was one thing that always helped with it, it was Gray's surprisingly warm body.

It felt so comfortable, being alone with him in their hometown, surrounded by snow and memories. As she recalled the good times she had spent in Antartica, Juvia truly felt as if her broken heart was finally being pieced back together.

* * *

_"Daddy, this place is so cold!" The little boy with light blue hair complained while shivering and the brown haired man laughed softly._

_"Sorry, buddy. Here in the north it's colder, but I'm sure you'll get used to it soon." He patted the boy's head and he frowned while crossing his little arms._

_"But I don't like cold!" He complained and before the man could soothe him, a young girl with same hair color came out of their new house and joined them on the backyard._

_"Henry, don't you like the snow?" She asked her younger brother while showing him a snowflake that had fallen on her hand and he shook his head._

_"No. I want to go back home!" The adult sighed, he knew moving would be hard for the children, at least Juvia didn't react as badly as her younger brother._

_"I know, son, but this is our home now. We just have to make the most of it." He told Henry and the boy's expression didn't falter. The young girl then had an idea and she smiled brightly._

_"Why don't we play a game?" She suggested and the little boy uncrossed his arms and looked at her curiously._

_"What game?" He asked and instead of responding, she closed her eyes and concentrated. Soon she started glowing bright blue and a big bubble appeared on her hand._

_"Catch the bubble!" She told her younger brother and Henry laughed before he moved forward. She kept using her magic to move the bubble around as he tried to catch it, both laughing in delight. Their father watched with a proud smile, impressed with both Juvia's ability to cheer up the young boy and to keep the bubble despite the snow falling on it and almost freezing it. Her magical abilities had always amazed him and he grew more proud of her with each day._

_"That's my girl. Someday she'll be an amazing mage, just like her mother." The memory of his late wife always brought sorrow, but as he stood there, in front of the house they used to share, surrounded by snow and their children, he felt like his broken heart was finally starting to piece back together._

* * *

_In Magnolia…_

"Now this is what I'm talking about!" Lucy cheered as she lay on top of a towel. She wore her usual white bikini as she enjoyed a little peace and quiet under the warm sun.

"Yes, this is the life." Erza agreed, she was lying next to Lucy while wearing a black bikini. She had her eyes closed and was almost falling asleep if it weren't for the loud noises coming from their guild mates.

Everyone was enjoying a fun day at the pool, just relaxing. It had been a few days since they had returned to Magnolia after the Grand Magic Games and everyone decided they needed some quiet time after everything that happened. So they had taken today off, no one went on jobs or even left the guild.

"Watch out!" There was a loud scream and Erza lifted her head up just as a volleyball came flying her way. The reequip mage managed to dodge it, but it hit Lucy right in the forehead.

"Ooops, I'm so sorry, Lucy." A nervous looking Max said as he approached the two women.

"It's alright, I'm fine." She told him with a small smile while rubbing her forehead. Erza stretched a little so she could pick the ball and she threw it at Max with a force that almost made him fall back.

"You'd better be careful with that, I've been itching to do sword practice today." She threatened and the sand mage gulped.

"No problem, I'll tell Warren to tone it down." He gave them a nervous smile before quickly going back to the pool.

"Oh My God, Luce, are you okay?" The blonde groaned as Natsu approached the two women looking extremely worried.

"I'm fine." Lucy told him rather harshly and he looked hurt."I think I'll pick a drink. Do you want anything, Erza?" The redhead looked in confusion between the couple.

"No, thank you. I'll see if Mira needs any help." She told them before quickly standing up and leaving the two alone.

"Are you mad at me?" Natsu asked his girlfriend, confused, as he sat down by her side. She sighed.

"No, I just need a little space right now." He was taken aback by her reply.

"Why? I thought you wanted us to spend more time together." Lucy raised an eyebrow at him, looking annoyed.

"When I said that I didn't mean I wanted you to be with me at all times. I need some alone time too." She told him truthfully and he understood. Natsu knew that he had taken her words a bit too literally. Ever since they had returned from the Games, he had been staying at her apartment and hadn't left her side for long. He knew she was getting annoyed by his constant presence, but he had reasons for it. Good ones.

"I'm sorry." He apologized, face falling. Lucy's expression softened and she placed a hand on his cheek. "It's just that…"

"I know." She interrupted. She knew why he had been stuck to her side like glue, why he refused to leave her alone even to get a simple drink. She knew he was terrified because of what had happened during the Grand Magic Games. He needed the reassurance that she was okay, that she was still there.

"I love you, Lucy." Her heart fluttered at the sudden confession and she smiled a bit.

"I love you too, Natsu." He wasted no time in wrapping his arms around her frame and bringing her closer so that they could kiss. They ignored the whistles coming from a few friends, they had gotten used to it by now. For a few moments, they allowed themselves to believe that nothing was wrong, that they were fine and what happened then hadn't affected them.

"Do you want to come with me to get a drink?" Lucy asked once they pulled apart and he nodded before helping her stand. Holding on tightly to each other's hand, they walked towards the guild doors and then inside. Many smiles were sent their way and they returned them, though they weren't happy at the moment. No one would be able to tell, no one had for the past few days since they had made sure to avoid their friend's suspicions. What happened that night was their issue and the last thing they wanted was to burden their friends with it. No one needed to know.

As Natsu and Lucy remembered the events that had changed their relationship, their hearts shattered once again.

* * *

_15 days before..._

_"As long as they're alive, it's bound to happen again." Future Rogue told them as they were trapped in the Mercurious Palace._

_"I don't have a clue what you're talking about, so just spill it. Who's this person you're after anyways?" Natsu had told him, arms crossed over his chest while he stared suspisciously at the older man. Something wasn't right._

_"It's you, Lucy Heartfilia!" Rpgue yelled with clear rage and before anyone could react, he had sent a dark shadow Lucy's way. The blonde was paralyzed in place due to shock and even Natsu's scream for her to move didn't wake her. The dragon slayer tried to reach her before she was hit, but couldn't._

_"No, Lucy!" He yelled in fear as he was about to lose her. Due to a struck of luck, there were two Lucys present that night. The future version, without a second thought, jumped in front of the present one and took the shot._

_"Oh no, are you okay?" Lucy asked her future self, as the latter lay on the floor._

_"Goodness, no." Carla muttered while Wendy stared in shock at the scene. The poor girl was so young to be witnessing something so terrible._

_"NO!" Happy screamed as he flew towards the two Lucys. Natsu was the one frozen in place, shaking with anger and fear. The image of future Lucy being shot and falling to the ground was forever carved into his mind. He would never forget it._

_He would never forgive himself for not being able to save her, for failing her. How could he call himseld her boyfriend, her protector, when she had died because he wasn't fast enough? His brain was barely registering that his Lucy was still alive, that she had been saved. All he could think about was seeing the woman he loved lying motionless on the ground. Not moving, not breathing. Gone. Forever._

_Sure, he and Lucy had gone through some hard times before. They had faced more danger in a few months than most people do in their lifetime. They had fought agaist dark guilds, monster, evil people. But they had always come out unscathed, unharmed. In the end, they had always rejoiced in being alive despite whatever injuries they might have._

_This time was different. Even though Lucy was still alive, a version of her had died. Right in front of his eyes. And both knew they would have a hard time recovering from that. Moving on, Natsu wasn't even sure if it was a possibility. But he had pulled himself together, even if he was broken at that moment. Because he couldn't let her sacriffice be in vain, couldn't let everyone he loved down when they needed him most. They were facing a crisis that night, so he had to pull his feelings aside and focus on defeating Rogue._

_However, that doesn't mean losing Lucy hadn't hurt him beyond what he thought was possible. Doesn't mean his heart wasn't shattered and quite possibly, could never be pieced back together. But he had promised to try, for Lucy. He had vowed to himself to keep her safe and never let her out of his sight. That's why he had been glued to her since they returned to Magnolia. And she knew it._

* * *

"Will you stop staring at me? It's kinda creepy." Meredy complained as she looked back at the white haired man who was looking at her. They were currently in the bedroom of his house near the Lamia Scale guild. Just as they had agreed, no one knew that she was there or what they were doing. It was their secret and they were doing an excellent job at keeping it.

"I'm sorry. You're just… You're beautiful." Lyon complimented and she couldn't keep the smile off her face. She lifted her head from the pillow, placing one hand on the bed while she used the other to gently brush his cheek.

"And you're very sweet." She replied and he wasted no time in kissing her. It had been two weeks now, since they had made their agreement to help each other out and things had been working out, much to their surprise. It was easier than they had assumed to just sleep with each other without developing any sort of romantic feelings.

Perhaps that was because they were both still recovering from having their hearts broken, so neither had any interest in pursuing a romantic relationship. They were on the same page, so things were going fine.

It had been hard to follow their arrangement since Meredy was constantly on the run, but she had convinced Jellal that they should stay around Magnolia for a while and so they had arrived at the city the day before.

According to her, Jellal seemed unaware of what they were doing, which was a relief to Lyon. The last thing he wanted was to have a conversation with him about his relationship with Meredy. It would be too awkward and embarrassing.

Prior to her arrival in Magnolia, Lyon and Meredy had had their encounters in Crocus, since he had stayed there for a while longer, claiming to his friends that he wanted to see the city. He hoped no one suspected the real reason why he had stayed behind.

"We should get ready now, Sherry and Ren will be coming over soon." Lyon said after they broke apart and she pouted.

"I don't want to go now, this bed is so comfy." She replied and he laughed before kissing her again. It was supposed to be quick, but Meredy wrapped her arms around his neck and kept him in place before she pushed him down on the bed, lying on top of him.

"Meredy…" He warned as she started kissing down his neck and she pulled away to give him a seductive smile.

"Perhaps I could convince you to stay a while longer?" She asked and he took in a sharp breath as she continued trailing kisses down his neck, her hands exploring his naked chest.

"Hmmm. You're evil." Lyon told her breathlessly after he took her hands hostage and she looked at him with a frown.

"And you're mean." Meredy complained as he gently pushed her off his body before sitting up.

"We'll have more time later, but now I really need to get ready. Can't welcome them in my underwear now, can I?" He spoke after having stood up and gestured towards his half naked body. She smiled evilly.

"I certainly wouldn't mind if you welcomed me like that. Would make things easier." He took another sharp breath as he tried to stop the effects her words had on him. The ice mage walked over to his wardrobe while she sat on the bed, using the sheets to cover her naked body.

"What do you think?" He asked while holding out a dark blue suit.

"It's nice, but why do you need to be so dressed up only to welcome your friends?" She questioned and he gave her a charming smile.

"This isn't for now, it's for later." When she raised an eyebrow in confusion, he took a deep breath. "We're going out for dinner."

"Wait, what?" Her eyes widened and Lyon placed the suit on the chair before he looked back at her.

"I think it's a good idea." He said simply and she shook her head.

"No, we've talked about this. Going out to eat is the first step for this to become something more and we both agree that we're not ready to start a relationship." Meredy crossed her arms, the sheet falling a bit, allowing him the view of her breasts and he had trouble diverging his attention.

"It doesn't have to be like that, we're on the same page, aren't we?" Upon seeing her unsure expression, Lyon took a few steps until he was right in front of the bed. "Look, Meredy, this doesn't have to mean anything else than what we want it to. I just thought it would be good for us to change the scenery a bit, but I won't push you to go out for dinner. It's just a suggestion."

"Can you assure me that you won't think of it as anything else?" She asked after sighing.

"Yes. Just two friends having dinner. Nothing more." He assured her and she nodded.

"Alright then. But you can't wear the suit." He raised an eyebrow in confusion and she shrugged. "I only have that dress, so I don't want you to be all fancy while I'm just looking the same as usual." She pointed towards the chair where her usual red dress was.

"I don't see why it should matter, but I'll respect your wish. I shall wear my usual clothing." He replied and she smiled brightly before getting up from the bed. Once again he tried to advert his eyes from her naked body as he started dressing himself in his green shirt and dark blue pants from before.

"Can you give me the dress?" She inquired and he nodded before picking it up and throwing it towards her.

She had just started putting her boots on when the doorbell rang. "Shit!" Lyon cursed underneath his breath while quickly buttoning his shirt. She sped up her movements and soon she was ready to go.

"What do we do now?" She questioned while she helped him finishing buttoning his shirt. He looked around widely.

"I'll distract them so that you can go out through the window!" She raised an eyebrow, but didn't protest.

"Alright." Meredy nodded and he gave her one last quick kiss before he walked towards the door.

"What time do you want to meet for dinner?" He looked back just before opening the door.

"7 pm. On Magnolia Park, by the fountain." She replied and he nodded before opening the door and walking out. Meredy sighed once he was gone and she waited until she heard voices downstairs before walking towards the window. After checking out that the coast was clear, she jumped swiftly, landing on her feet. She put her cape over her head and ran away from the house.

* * *

"What took you so long?" Sherry curiously asked Lyon as she and her fiancée were let into his house.

"Sorry, I was taking a nap, so I didn't hear the doorbell ring." The ice mage replied lamely and she raised an eyebrow.

"Taking a nap? I thought we had agreed on the time." She inquired and he looked away from her intense stare and towards Ren.

"How are you doing, man?" He asked his somewhat friend and the other man gave him a small smile.

"Fine." He replied simply before looking towards his fiancée. "Can we be quick here? Itchia made sure that we're to be back by 4:30 today." The pink haired woman nodded.

"Of course, darling." She started walking towards the couch and Ren put a hand on her back, helping her. Lyon sat down on a chair and stared at them curiously, his eyes wandering to Sherry's clearly growing stomach. The loose purple shirt she wore didn't do much to cover it now that she was sitting down, instead it accentuated the bump.

It had been a couple weeks since Lyon had learned about her pregnancy, but he had kept it a secret from everyone else since the couple asked him to. He and Sherry had always been close, so that's why she had confided in him.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" He asked them after diverging his eyes.

"Well, Ren and I have been talking a lot about what we're going to do after the baby is born." She placed her hand on her stomach and Ren's smile was unusually soft as he looked at her.

"More specifically, about who's going to take care of him in case something happens to us." Ren gave him a pointed look and Sherry's eye were suddenly filled with tears. 4 months into the pregnancy, Ren already knew how to deal with her sudden change of mood.

"Yes. We would like…" She covered her mouth as she started sobbing and Lyon looked worriedly at her. The other man, however, knew it was just the hormones acting, so he wrapped an arm around her and brought her closer.

"We want you to be the baby's godfather." He told the white haired mage and Lyon was stunned. He hadn't been expecting that.

"Really? Are you sure?" He asked and Sherry looked at him with a smile, still crying.

"You've been there for us since the beginning, you've supported us through every fight and always helped me when I needed. I wouldn't have chosen anyone else." She told him between sobs and his heart was filled with warmth.

"Thank you." He whispered after approaching her on the couch and giving her a tight hug, careful with her stomach. They had no idea how much their words helped him, how much he needed something good to focus on. It was true that Meredy's company had helped, but being chosen to be the godfather of Sherry's child made him happy in ways he could have never imagined.

* * *

"I have an idea." Gray said once they pulled apart from their embrace, a few minutes later. Juvia stared at him curiously as put his hands in the ice-make position.

"What is it?" She asked and he smiled.

"Your father and brother deserve a proper grave." He replied and she was confused. "Will you allow me to destroy this one so that I can build a better one?" She nodded, speechless. He smiled at her before using his magic to tear apart the grave she had improvised many years ago. A part of her felt sad upon seeing it broken, but it was soon replaced by amazement as Gray built two beautiful graves with his ice magic.

"So beautiful." The water mage moved forward a bit and touched the glassy ice while looking at him with teary eyes. "Thank you!"

"Anything for you." The ice mage replied sweetly. Usually he would have laughed at the fool who used such cliches, but it seems like he was the fool now. A fool in love with a beautiful woman who loved him back. Gray smiled at her, he didn't mind it one bit.

"Can you carve their names?" Juvia asked him and he nodded before using his magic once again. Henry Lockser, X769-X773, said the first one. The second one read Daniel Lockser, X744-X773. Juvia looked at his handiwork with a bittersweet expression.

"I miss them, so much!" She admitted and Gray once again brought her closer so that she could rest against his body.

"I know, Juvia." He replied simply and they stayed like that for a few moments, both remising about their pasts.

"You know, I was never the kind to believe there was such a thing as fate. Or destiny, whatever you call it." Gray confessed, a small blush on his face.

"Neither did I." Juvia replied, pulling away a bit so that she could look at him.

"But after I found out that we shared the same tragic past, I couldn't help but wonder if it was somehow planned." The bluenette looked at him in confusion.

"What was planned?" She asked.

"This. The two of us, finding our way to each other. Don't you feel like it was somehow meant to happen? Or am I just being crazy?" He asked back and Juvia laughed a bit.

"It sure sounds crazy, but I feel that way too. I mean, it's too elaborate to be a coincidence, so I believe it was meant to happen." She replied and he looked around the village with a thoughtful expression.

"I guess I should be sort of grateful it happened, then. Without my parents' death and Ur, I might have never found my way to you." He mused and she nodded in agreement.

"Yes, it was the tragedies that tied us together. I just wish it didn't have to be this way." She admitted and it was his turn to nod. He wished more than anything that he didn't have to suffer and lose so much in order to find the happiness he now felt while being with her. But what happened couldn't be undone, so all they could do was focus on the future.

"It's no use wishing for it, we need to focus on the future." He voiced his thoughts and she smiled.

"Yes. Speaking of which, shall we get going?" Juvia questioned and he looked around one more time.

"Sure. I'd love to be back to Magnolia before it gets dark." Gray replied before helping her stand. She undid the water lock she had done before in order to hold onto two bouquets of flowers. Juvia placed them on the graves before saying goodbye to her family. Gray wrapped an arm around her and kept her close, protecting her from the cold as they walked away from the graves.

Even though it was the anniversary of the death of their parents, the two had decided not to spend all their time in Antartica. They had been there for a while and missed their friends, so they would be going back to Magnolia now.

As they walked along the village, they spotted something they didn't know how they had missed before. It was a large wooden cross, placed near the ruins of a house. "Strange, I didn't see it before." Juvia commented as she removed his arms from around her and took a step towards the cross. Gray shrugged.

"Must have been covered by snow before." He suggested before continuing on his way.

"Aren't you curious?" She asked and he realized she was standing in place.

"I think it's not our business." Gray replied, but he knew his girlfriend and when she was curious, there was no stopping her.

"Come on, Juvia. It's cold." She gave him an unimpressed look at his attempt to sway her attention before she walked towards the cross. He sighed before following her. Once they were both standing before the cross and managed to take a good look at the names inscribed on it, Gray's breath was caught in his throat.

"What the hell?" He muttered, staring at it in disbelief.

* * *

 

**So, thoughts?**

**Did you enjoy that little scene at the party? Just something funny to counter balance all the drama and heartbreak.**

**What are your thoughts on Lyredy? Am I doing okay with them despite the cheesy plot?**

**What about the little Sherry scene? Thought it would be nice to add in other minor characters and develop their stories as well.**

**NaLu fans, did you enjoy my take on them?**

**What did you think of Gruvia in this chapter? Did you like their cute scenes? Since I've never seen them acting like a couple on the anime, I had to use my imagination. Hope Gray wasn't too OOC.**

**That ending, huh? You know what the cross means, so what do you think will happen now? Will Gray find out the truth about Silver? Or will it remain a mystery?**

**Next chapter: Finally Moving Forward. Man, these titles are getting cheesy.**

**You can expect more Gruvia, more Lyredy, Gajuvia brOTP and more reveals.**

**Let's try another challenge, how about it? So, chapter 13 will be posted once we reach 370 hits.**


	13. Finally Moving Forward

* * *

**Hello, dear readers. I'm so sorry about the lateness of this chapter. I'm currently on vacation in Europe, so I have little time to write. I'll try to keep my updates as steady as possible, but it might take at least 10 days for each new chapter to be posted.**

**As the title says, this story's all about the connections between the characters. Mainly Juvia and how she has links to so many people, some even by blood (SPOILER ALERT). If you have any theories to these links, feel free to share.**

**Also, I always love to work with as many characters as possible and give everyone their time to shine. This is why my chapters are so big. If that's a problem, you should tell me. When I see no complaints, I assume everyone's okay with over 7000 words chapters.**

 

**A new challenge is presented at the end of this chapter. I have no doubt you'll be able to accomplish it easily and the prize's a good one.**

**Happy reading! Don't forget to review, follow and favorite.**

* * *

 

Arms-Christina Perri

I never thought that you would be the one to hold my heart

But you came around

And you knocked me off the ground from the start

You put your arms around me  
And I believe that it's easier for you to let me go  
You put your arms around me and I'm home

How many times will let you me change my mind and turn around  
I can't decide if I'll let you save my life or if I'll drown

I hope that you see right through my walls  
I hope that you catch me, 'cause I'm already falling  
I'll never let a love get so close  
You put your arms around me and I'm home

* * *

 

"What the hell?" Gray muttered as both stared at the cross. The names that had been carved there were clear, it just wasn't possible.

"This doesn't make sense." Juvia muttered. She felt chills down her spine upon seeing her beloved's name carved into the cross.

"Now I'm getting totally creeped out. Why the hell is my name here?" Gray took a step back and started looking around wildly.

"What about the other name? Do you know someone named Mika?" Juvia asked him and he stopped, frozen in place. She could see the pain in his eyes and it made her feel horrible for being the cause of it, even if indirectly.

"She was… my mom." Gray whispered brokenly. After glancing once more at the cross, Juvia walked towards him and wrapped her arms around him in a comforting hug, bringing his head to her chest.

"It's alright. You can let it out." She whispered gently while running her fingers through his hair. The water mage could tell that he was close to losing it and knew it was better for him to let it out than to keep his feelings bottled up like he had been doing for so long.

"It's been so long since I last thought of her. My mom.. She was gone." Gray whispered, voice hoarse. It wasn't long before his legs couldn't hold themselves any longer as his body was taken over by the shock of seeing her name after so long. He fell down, bringing Juvia with him. The snow fell around them harder than before, but they stayed in the cold, holding onto each other as the ice mage finally let his emotions take over.

For a few moments, there was only silence, except for Gray's unconcealed sobs and Juvia's comforting whispers. He felt somewhat happy, despite the pain of having to relive the worst moments of his life. He had never thought that he would someday allow himself to be vulnerable in front of someone again, but with Juvia it was different. She made him feel safe, like he could tell her anything and she would never judge him. He knew it was true.

"I'm sorry." He whispered after he pulled apart from her embrace, keeping his arms wrapped around her.

"You never have to apologize for being broken." Juvia told him gently, a hand gently touching his face as she dried the remaining tears. "Specially not today." She added afterwards and Gray found himself smiling despite the pain. This woman was so unbelievably kind he couldn't believe his luck.

"Have I mentioned how lucky I am to have you?" He whispered and her face turned into a small smile.

"I'm the lucky one." She replied before her gaze turned back to the cross.

"It's too weird, that cross." Gray followed her gaze before pointing.

"Yes. From what you told me your parents are both dead, so who else would have written your name there?" She inquired and Gray frowned as he thought about it. There was no one. Everyone he knew from back then was dead, except for Juvia.

"I have no idea. The only person I could think of was Ur, but makes no sense for her not to tell me about it." He sighed in frustration. She could see this really had him shaken, so she decided they could discuss it later. After standing up, Juvia offered him a hand.

"We can think about this later. Shall we get going?" He looked at her and she was surprised to see uncertainty in his eyes. They trailed between the cross and her hand.

"Sure." He answered after a moment before standing up as well, with her help. However, before he could completely stand, Juvia ended up tripping and began falling backwards. Both stumbled, but Gray was able to hold his ground and he pulled her to him, trapping her in an embrace. The couple laughed at the situation once they were standing alright before she buried her head on his chest with a content sigh as his arms wrapped tightly around her.

"You know, this day's too hard for me. Usually I just stay alone, avoiding everyone because I don't want them to see me down." Gray confessed after a few moments and she raised her head to look at him." But I couldn't be more glad that you're here, Juvia. So thank you." He added while blushing and she smiled.

"I feel the same. Thank you for being with me." She replied before they leaned in for another kiss. This one was slower, gentler, warmer. It was a promise that they would always be there for each other.

After they pulled apart, they remained intertwined and her head went back to his chest. They were content to stay like this for a long time, just being together. As Gray recalled how his parents would embrace each other like this many times in the past, a small smile appeared on his face.

"If only my dad could see me now, I think he would be proud." He said and Juvia smiled as well.

"I know he would." She told him, voice laced with pride and adoration. "What was his name again?" The water mage curiously asked and nothing could have prepared her for Gray's answer.

"Silver. He was a great guy." The ice mage replied simply and her heart stopped.

_"What about your son? What's his name?" She asked and the black haired man looked away, it was clear the subject was hard on him. But Juvia was curious, this boy had clearly been very important to Silver._

_"We named him Gray." He replied just as she was starting to think he wouldn't answer her question._

_"Like the color?" She questioned and Silver nodded, a small smile on his face._

_"Yes. I remember the day he was born it was supposed to be a summer day, but it was so cold. My wife and I wondered if our son was responsible for the weather change and we knew in that moment that he would be an ice wizard. We decided to name him after the gray sky, since Mika always thought it was so beautiful." It was clear just how much he had loved his son and how it had hurt Silver to lose him. Without a second thought, Juvia wrapped her small arms around the older man in a comforting hug._

_"It's beautiful." She told him gently and Silver wrapped his own arms around her. He was her friend, her savior. He would always hold a special place in her heart._

"Juvia? Are you okay?" She realized Gray was staring down at her in concern and quickly placed a smile on her face.

"I'm alright, my love. I was just reminiscing on the past." The ice mage nodded before his arms left her and he stepped away.

"Can we go now?" He extended a hand and she took it, still smiling as truthfully as she could. She couldn't let him suspect that something was wrong. Juvia needed time to fully comprehend the discovery she just had made. She didn't even know if it was true, so she needed to really think about it before she could tell him. As she looked at Gray while they walked towards the train station, she couldn't help but notice all the similarities. Could Silver truly be Gray's father?

* * *

 

_Back in Magnolia…_

"Ugh, I'm so bored." Natsu complained as he lay his head on the table, a frown on his face. From across him, Lucy and Wendy laughed softly.

"Aww, you miss your best bud, don't you?" Cana teased as she passed by their table, a barrel of wine in her hand. It was her 4th that day, according to Wabaka and Macao.

"Like hell I miss that ice jerk." Natsu shot up and crossed his arms over his chest, looking like a stubborn child.

"You just admitted that he's your best friend." Lucy joined in on the teasing, an eyebrow raised.

"I knew it! All this time you've been lying to me." Happy accused dramatically, a blue paw pointed at Natsu. "I cannot believe you'd choose Gray over me." Lucy rolled her eyes at the cat's antics while everyone else laughed.

"Speaking of which, where is he again?" A curious Alzack asked as he, Bisca and little Asuka traded towards their table.

"He hasn't come to the guild in days. Is he even in Magnolia?" Bisca added, arms wrapped around the little girl who stared at Natsu and Lucy curiously.

"No, he's traveling." It was Erza who replied, showing up from no where and giving them a good scare. Once the shock by her sudden appearance was off, Alzack and Bisca looked at her curiously.

"Where did he go? I don't recall him saying anything about a mission?" The green haired woman asked and by then the entire guild was silent as they awaited Erza's answer. No one knew exactly what had happened with Gray, all they knew was he hadn't come back to Magnolia with the others and the information on his whereabouts had been given vaguely, so no one knew exactly where he was.

"It's not a mission, he's visiting his hometown." Erza answered at last and murmurs started.

"Seriously? I don't think Gray ever mentioned going back there." Warren told Max and the light brown haired man shrugged.

"It was probably a last minute decision." He replied simply.

"After so many years, it was about time Gray returned there." Laki said and Erza nodded.

"Yes, it's been too long." She agreed and Mira spoke next, a bright smile on her face.

"And he's not alone this time." Widened eyes turned to look at her. She was the only one besides those who had been listening to Gray and Juvia's conversation who knew that him and Juvia were together. She had annoyed Erza to no ends until the red head confessed and since she was part of Operation Gruvia, it was only fair she became aware of the success of the mission.

"Who..." Alzack began asking and before anyone could answer, the doors of the guild opened with a loud bang. In came Gajeel and Levy, followed by none other than Gray and Juvia. The water and ice mages were walking closely together, their arms almost touching.

"Look who's back!" Erza said with a bright smile and Gajeel and Levy moved aside so everyone could see Gray.

"Hey you two. It's been a while." Mira greeted them cheerfully and Gray gave a small smile in return.

"How was your trip?" Lucy asked them, standing up from the table, followed by Natsu and Wendy. The ice mage was clearly uncomfortable under their stares as he stood there.

"It was okay." Juvia answered upon seeing his discomfort. She smiled at her friends, happy to be back to the guild.

"Is that so? Did you have fun?" Cana asked with a suggestive smile and the water mage blushed while Gray looked like he wanted to disappear.

"Come on, Cana, leave them alone." Lucy scolded the brunette, who shrugged.

"It was just a question." She said with a shrug before taking a large gulp of her barrel.

"Okay, am I the only one who's confused?" Max asked as he stared at the couple with a frown.

"Confused about what?" Levy asked him.

"Erza just said that Gray went back to his hometown. Why did he bring Juvia with him?" He questioned and Warren nodded.

"That's right. Are you two together or something?" He inquired and the water and ice mages were blushing furiously. Gray remained silent, so it was up to Juvia to answer.

"Well..." She awkwardly said before laughing nervously. Seeing her struggle, Gray decided to be a man, as Elfman would say, and help her. So he took her hand in his and squeezed it, making her look at him in surprise. After casting her an unusual soft smile, he turned back to their friends.

"Anyone got a problem with that?" It wasn't the response any of them were expecting and many eyes widened and mouths opened in surprise.

"Wait... Are you serious?" Lisanna asked, looking between Gray and Juvia's intertwined hands and blushing faces.

"OMG! It's really happening!" Laki and Kinnana were happily joining their hands together.

"It was about time." Laxus said, giving Gray a pointed look.

"Well, someone was a little slow." Juvia said, looking softly at her boyfriend. "But everything's okay now. We're happy." She turned back to their friends with a radiant smile and Erza, Lucy and Levy returned it with smiles of their own.

"I'm glad to hear it." The red head said before everyone started congratulating the newly formed couple. They were forced apart when Lucy, Lisanna and Levy wrapped Juvia in a tight hug that left her breathless while Gray was pulled aside by Natsu, who teased him and patted him in the back.

Once the water mage was finally free from her crazy friends, she looked for her best friend, confused to why he wasn't congratulating her.

"What's wrong, Gajeel?" She asked him upon finding him with his arms crossed and a frown on his face.

"Are you truly happy?" He questioned, catching her by surprise.

"Of course I am." She replied firmly and his face broke into a relaxed smile.

"Okay, then. I can live with that." He told her before uncrossing his arms. Juvia wasted no time in hugging him, making him frown once again, though she knew he liked it.

After they pulled apart, Juvia was pleased to find Gray had moved away from Natsu's teasings and was standing a few feet away. She shyly walked towards him and he reluctantly put an arm around her shoulder. Gajeel eyed them suspiciously.

"Hey stripper." Gray looked warily at him. "You'd better take good care of her, do you hear me? Unless you're looking forward to the worst ass kicking of your life." He threatened and Juvia rolled her eyes at her BFF's antics while Gray smiled.

"Don't worry, I will." He gave a reassuring look to the iron dragon slayer.

"Of course he will. He knows you're not the only one who's willing to teach him a lesson if he ever hurts her." Erza said, a threatening glint in her eyes.

"Alright, you can stop threatening him now." Juvia told everyone, voice firm. "It was a long trip and we're tired, so we'll get something to eat now, okay?" Gray gave her a thankful look.

"Sure. Just be back soon. I want to know how exactly this happened." Mira told them with a smile, unaware of the circunstances of Juvia and Gray's new status.

"Be ready to give us all the details!" Cana yelled excitedly and the couple blushed at her words before turning around and making their way towards the guild doors, Gray's arm unknowingly wrapped around her shoulders.

* * *

 

"That went better than I thought." Gray whispered in Juvia's ear as they closed the door behind them and she nodded.

"I'm surprised they didn't just lose it." The water mage whispered back and he remembered that some of them already knew.

"Guess it wasn't so surprising for them." The ice mage shrugged before removing his arm from around her shoulders so that he could hold her hand. A smile came upon her face at the gesture and she thought that the small blush on his face was adorable.

Together, they walked along the river in silence until they reached Magnolia Park.

"Shall we eat caramade franks?" Juvia asked and they shared smiles at the memory of the first time Gray had introduced her to the delicious food. They had eaten it many times since then, every time they went on long missions they would grab a few caramade franks to take with them and sometimes they would dine at the small restaurant that sold it.

"Hell yeah. I'm starving." Gray replied before he sped up his movements, catching her by surprise and she almost fell down. Thankfully, she was able to hold her ground and soon caught up with him.

They were almost halfway to the restaurant when Juvia suddenly stopped. Gray stopped too and looked at her in confusion before his eyes followed her line of vision. She was staring at the mermaid shaped fountain near them. A lone figure was sitting on it, bright pink hair tied in a ponytail and a dark blue cape draped over her shoulders.

"What is it?" Gray asked his girlfriend, confused by her widened eyes.

"Meredy?" She whispered, having not heard him. She let go of his hand and started walking towards the fountain, Gray following a moment later. Both wondered what the pink haired girl was doing there and why she was even in Magnolia when she was supposed to be on the run with Jellal. Nothing could have prepared them for the discovery they would make in a few moments.

* * *

 

Gray and Juvia were almost reaching Meredy when another figure appeared. They stopped suddenly and stared in shock as Lyon Vastia walked towards Meredy. "The hell?" Gray whispered as the pinkette stood up and shared a quick hug with the older ice mage.

"I had no idea they knew each other." Juvia added. True, she was aware Lyon and Meredy had met during the Dragon's Invasion, but this meeting was clearly a planned one.

"I had completely forgotten about that, but they told me they met even before we fought together." Gray told her and she looked back at the other two, eyes widened.

"Really? So do you think they are..." She didn't finish, but Gray understood. He shrugged, it was hard to tell whether this was a friendly encounter or something more. He sure had gotten a strange vibe from Lyon and Meredy back during the fight, but it was hard to tell what exactly was going on between them.

"I don't know." He replied as Lyon walked away from the fountain, Meredy following him a few feet behind. The two were clearly conversing and seemed unaware of the couple's presence. Seeing them coming in their direction, Juvia and Gray shared looks, unsure what to do. Should they turn back and pretend they saw nothing? Or should they talk to their friends?

"I really think it's a good idea, I'm not too hungry and the caramade franks are great." They could hear Meredy's voice now, she sounded excited.

"Yes, they are. I agree with... you." Lyon paused and took a sharp intake of breath as he saw Gray and Juvia. Meredy also stopped and stared at them with widened eyes.

"What are you guys doing here?" Lyon's voice was shaky. Gray raised an eyebrow.

"Guess we could ask you the same." He replied a bit harshly and Juvia decided to speak before a fight could erupt between them.

"We were just going to get dinner." She replied to Lyon's question, placing a firm hand on Gray's shoulder.

"Juvia, it's so good to see you!" Meredy brightly smiled towards the bluenette, who returned it.

"You too, Meredy. Have you been well?" She asked in concern and the pinkette nodded.

"Yes, Jellal and I decided to stick around in Magnolia for a while. Seems like the search for us isn't as constant as before." She explained. The two men watched their interactions in silence.

"That's good. I hope you can stay for a while so we can meet again. It looks like you have a lot to share." Juvia gave a pointed look in Meredy's direction and the young girl blushed.

"Oh, not really. Lyon and I just became friends after our meeting in Crocus." She quickly said, giving Lyon a small smile.

"Yes, what about the two of you? Everything okay?" Lyon spoke at last and Juvia wasn't surprised by the tightness of his smile or the pain in his eyes. He was clearly still hurting, but she could also see some happiness and her heart was filled with relief that he wasn't completely broken anymore.

"We're doing fine." Gray replied before he approached Juvia and took her hand. "I hope you can deal with the fact that we're together now." The water mage was shocked before she remembered that Lyon had been there the night they got together.

"I can deal with that." Lyon told them firmly before his face softened. "I know you might not believe me, but I'm glad you two are happy." He added with a small smile.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Juvia asked him worriedly and Lyon nodded,

"It will take time, but I am determined to move on." He told her and her frown remained. "Don't beat yourself up about this, Juvia. You can't choose who you'll fall in love with. I'm just sorry it had to be this idiot." He glanced at Gray, who frowned.

"Hey, I take offence!" He protested in outrage and Meredy laughed.

"These silly boys. What can we do with them?" She asked Juvia while smiling and the bluenette laughed.

"Maybe we should just let them to fend for themselves. Do you want to join me for dinner?" She suggested and Gray stared at her incredulously.

"Seriously, Juvia? You're gonna leave me alone with HIM?" He pointed at Lyon, who looked just as bemused.

"Sorry, darling. If you promise to behave, perhaps you could join me and Meredy." Knowing she was teasing him, Gray shook his head.

"I promise to behave. What about you, Gray?" Lyon butted in and the younger ice mage glared at him.

"Have I mentioned that you're an idiot?" The white haired man laughed.

"Way too many times. Though I think the idiot here's you. I wasn't the one who pushed away such an amazing woman as Juvia." Lyon remarked and Gray was left with his mouth hanging open, there was no denying that.

"That's enough!" Juvia firmly said and one look at her made Gray close his mouth. She wasn't playing around.

"Alright. Let's go now, I'm starving." The ice mage said and the bluenette smiled before taking his extended hand. Meredy followed the couple with Lyon not far behind.

* * *

* * *

They decided to get caramade franks just as Gray and Juvia had been playing. As they sat in the benches outside of the restaurant, Juvia and Meredy made small talk while the boys mostly remained silent.

"So, how's Ultear doing? And Jellal?" The water mage asked and was surprised when Meredy didn't answer, instead sharing a meaningful look with Lyon.

"What happened?" Gray asked them, suddenly worried. Something was wrong.

"Meredy? What's wrong?" Juvia asked when the pinkette remained silent, a sad look on her face. Lyon gave her a reassuring look before turning to the confused couple.

"Gray, do you remember what happened during the Dragon's attack?" The younger ice mage grimaced.

"Of course I do, it's pretty hard to forget." He replied, crossing his arms over his chest. He had been trying hard to avoid thinking about his death experience for the past week.

"Well, do you remember how we were all wondering how you could have just come back from the dead and in the end agreed that the vision was false?" Gray and Juvia nodded to his words. Lyon sighed, the subject wasn't an easy one. "Meredy and I found out the reason why it happened."

"Wait, what?" Gray asked him, eyes wide.

"You figured out what caused us to have that horrible vision?" Juvia inquired and Lyon nodded. They expected him to say more, but he remained silent. It only worried them even more.

"Well, say it." Gray told the older man, frustrated with his lack of response.

"It was Ultear. She used a forbidden spell to turn back time, so what we saw wasn't just a vision. It really happened, but she was able to reverse it." Their mouths were open and eyes widened. It was unbelievable.

"What?" Gray asked dumbly, having a hard time understanding it.

"I thought there wasn't a spell like that, didn't she spend a long time searching for one but never found it?" Juvia was confused.

"She did find it, years ago. But this spell had a heavy price, so master Hades forbade her from ever using it." Meredy finally spoke, voice shaking with each word and eyes watering. The water mage gently held her hand and squeezed it as a sign of comfort. "He told me about it and asked me to make sure she never used it."

"Why didn't he want her to use it?" Juvia asked, curiously. She had a bad feeling about this.

"Because it would be the last spell she would ever cast." Lyon answered this one, his voice clearly laced with pain.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Gray asked, fed up with all the mystery.

"Last Ages spell allows the caster to turn back time, but they must forfeit their own time in return." Meredy repeated the words she had been told by master Hades. "She used it to save us all, she gave up her life so that we could live." She could no longer stop the tears and Juvia, seeing her friend in so much distress, pulled her into a tight hug.

Gray was frozen. He couldn't move, he couldn't think. All he could feel was the pain of losing yet another person that was close to him. The little voice in his head he had been pushing away came back with full force.

There goes another one. See how you only bring misery to those around you? First Ur sacrificed her life to save you, now her daughter as well. You are a menace. You should stay away from Juvia before it happens to her.

"Gray?" He was so absorbed in his thoughts he didn't realize Lyon had stood up and walked towards him, sitting down by his side while the two girls were hugging.

"It was my fault." The black haired man whispered brokenly, staring at the ground, and Lyon gave him an understanding look.

"Don't be stupid, you're not to blame for this. She made that decision on her own, it had nothing to do with you." He scolded the younger man, who didn't move.

"She died to save me. Just like Ur." The younger ice mage lifted his gaze and there was so much pain in his eyes. Lyon knew then, he couldn't just stand idly by while Gray continued to blame himself for every tragedy that happened in his life.

"Yes, she did. But listen to me, it wasn't your fault. You need to stop blaming yourself for every bad thing that happens." He kept his tone firm yet gentle, knowing Gray was suffering.

"Lyon's right." Gray turned back at the sound of her voice and she had a gentle smile on her face. Behind her, Meredy was also smiling despite her tears.

"This isn't what she would've wanted. She wanted us to live on, to find happiness even without her. We need to respect her wish." The pinkette told him and Gray swallowed hard before nodding.

"I know, I know. I just….why does it always happen to me?" They didn't have an answer to that. While Lyon and Meredy remained silent, giving him pitying looks, Juvia moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around him, bringing him to rest his head on the crook of her neck.

"It's going to be okay, my love. I'm here with you." The water mage whispered as she gently petted his head and Gray easily relaxed in her embrace, enjoying the warmth and comfort that she provided. Lyon and Meredy exchanged looks as they watched the couple before deciding to step away and give them some privacy.

As Juvia kept whispering comforting words in his ear, Gray couldn't help but to believe them. He would be okay, as long as she was by his side.

* * *

 

_Later that night…_

A few hours after Gray and Juvia's sort of dinner date with Lyon and Meredy, the couple was finally going home so that they could rest.

As promised, they had stopped by the guild to inform everyone how they had gotten together and Juvia confided in their friends about her past and their connection. Everyone was shocked to learn that she and Gray had once lived in the same village and both lost their families because of Deliora's attack. But overall, they were just happy that the two of them had found each other and were happy, as they made clear.

It was a night of celebration, there were many toasts to Gray and Juvia and they had a lot of fun. It was the first time in over a decade that they didn't spend this tragic day moping around alone and both enjoyed it. They knew that, from now on, they would never have to be alone again.

"Argh, can you two stop it? I'm trying to eat here!" Natsu complained as he watched Gray and Juvia being cute. They were sitting on a bench opposite of where Natsu, Lucy and Erza were as Gray's arm was kept around the water mage. The blonde and redhead were smiling at the couple along with Mira, who had stopped serving and stood watching them, while Wendy and Carla looked rather uncomfortable with the clear display of affection.

"Not my problem." Gray retorted before kissing Juvia once again. The two of them had had a few drinks, they weren't exactly drunk, but it had caused their inhibitions to lower so they weren't as uncomfortable with being together in front of their friends.

"You'll need to get used to it." Erza told the frowning dragon slayer as Gray and Juvia pulled apart and smiled at each other.

"That's going to be hard, I still can't believe snowflake finally decided to be a man." Natsu snorted and Gray's face immediately turned to anger as he turned to Natsu.

"Are you trying to start a fight, fire breath?" Seeing the tension between the two and knowing Gray wasn't in his right state of mind, Juvia decided they'd better get out of here because this escalated.

"Alright, I think it's time we go home." She told her boyfriend and he stared at her in confusion.

"But it's too early." He protested while pouting and Erza and Lucy laughed.

"Not really, it's already past 1 in the morning." The blonde said while taking a sip of her smoothie.

"See? We've had such a tiring day, we should rest." The bluenette told Gray, looking at him pleadingly.

"Nah, I'm not tired." He shrugged and Juvia's face now showed impatience before a tight smile appeared.

"But I am. So as the good boyfriend you are, you'll accompany me home. Isn't that right?" Her tone was sweet, but it sent shivers down their spines. Gray visibly gulped before nodding.

"Okay." The ice mage complied, much to everyone's surprise. Gray Fullbuster was as stubborn as they get and he didn't like being ordered around.

"My goodness, what have you done to him, Juvia?" Mira joked as she passed by their table.

"I'd love to know what's your trick for making Gray agree with you. I certainly could use that." Lucy said while glancing at her own boyfriend, who was too busy stuffing his face on a plate of spaghetti to pay attention to them.

"Ask Erza, she's the one who taught me to be scary." Juvia told them with a smile towards the red head before she turned to the ice mage. "Shall we get going?" She asked in the same sweet tone and Gray smiled at her.

"Sure." They said their goodbyes and goodnights to their friends before leaving the guild, holding hands. It was strange and yet wonderful to see them so clearly happy and in love.

The couple walked to Fairy Hills mostly in silence. As they arrived in front of the grand building, Gray let go of her hand before smiling at her.

"Good night." He said simply and the bluenette smiled as well.

"Good night, my love." She replied before leaning in so that they could share one last kiss. After they pulled apart and Juvia walked towards Fairy Hills, he patiently waited for her to enter the building before leaving.

* * *

 

The water mage climbed the stairs towards her room as quietly as she could. After opening the door, she turned on the lights and almost jumped when she noticed she wasn't alone. Gajeel was standing with his back to her, looking through the window.

"Gajeel?" She asked in confusion, a hand still in her quickly beating heart as she tried to overcome the shock. The dragon slayer turned around and gave a pointed look towards the door. She understood what he meant and closed it before walking towards him. "What are you doing here?" She whispered.

"I'd appreciate if you didn't mention this to Titania, I doubt she would be happy." He whispered back, fear in his eyes. They knew the rule that only allowed girls to enter Fairy Hills had been created by Erza, so she would freak out if she knew that he was there.

"Of course." Juvia told him before sitting down on the couch while the dragon slayer remained standing.

"I saw you through the window. It really looks like you and stripper are getting along." He spoke and she couldn't keep the smile off her face.

"Yes, he's been very good to me." The water mage replied and Gajeel looked at her with a mixture of curiosity and worry.

"Did you tell him?" It took her a few moments for her to understand what he meant and she sighed.

"No, I didn't." There was guilt in her eyes.

"Why not?" Gajeel was surprised and confused.

"I thought it was best not to. He doesn't have to know what happened after Deliora's attack." He nodded in understanding, thinking it was best if stripper remained clueless about it. Knowing the guy, he would probably waste his life hunting down the people who had hurt her, to no avail. If not even Juvia knew who they were, no one would be able to find them.

"What did you tell him, then?" Gajeel asked, curious.

"I told him I ran away, to Oak Town and the orphanage." The water mage replied, looking uncomfortable.

"It's not a complete lie." He offered and she laughed bitterly.

"It's not the truth either. If he finds out, he will hate me." She was surprised when he shook his head.

"I don't think he will. He clearly loves you, so I'm sure he will forgive you." Juvia's face turned to a small smile.

"I hope you're right. I hate lying to him, but it's too dangerous. They're dangerous and if he went looking for them, who knows what they might do." She shivered at the thought and Gajeel's face turned serious.

"Are you sure that they weren't at the Games? You told me you felt their presence." It wasn't the first time he asked it. He found it strange how one minute she had been sure they were there and the next she was telling him it was her own imagination. Something didn't feel right.

"I'm not sure of anything anymore!" The water mage said in frustration and he raised an eyebrow. "I found something today and I'm not completely sure, but if I'm right, this changes things."

"Do tell." He grew curious, this was clearly something important.

"Do you remember Silver?" The dragon slayer nodded, she always talked about the man who had saved her life. "I have reasons to believe he is Gray's father."

"The hell?! Why would you think that?" Gajeel's mouth was open in a silent gasp.

"There was a cross with Gray's name on it, his mother's too. When I asked him what his father's name was, he said it was Silver. That's when I put the pieces together." The water mage explained and he was speechless.

"This is…" She let out a bitter laugh.

"Too crazy." He nodded. They remained in silence for a few moments, unsure what to say.

"So what are you going to do?" Gajeel asked and Juvia sighed.

"I don't know. I should tell him, it's the right thing to do." He gave her a serious look.

"If you do, he's going to try to find his father." She nodded before sighing once again.

"And that would put him in great danger. Do you see my dilemma now?" The dragon slayer smiled at her.

"Whatever you decide to do, count on me." He sincerely told her and she couldn't help but to smile back.

"Thank you." She replied before standing up from her place on the couch and giving him a tight hug. He complained as usual, but didn't push her away, instead wrapping his arms around her and patting her back.

"I just need a little more time to make a decision. For now I just want to focus on how happy I am that things are finally working out." She said once they pulled apart.

"I get that. It feels like we're finally moving forward, doesn't it?" He asked and she nodded.

"Yes. I hope we can have some peace and quiet in the future." Gajeel snorted while she raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry, Juvi, but as long as we're in Fairy Tail, I don't think we can count on peace and quiet." She joined in on laughing knowing he was right. Fairy Tail wasn't a quiet guild, but she loved it so much. It was her home, her safe haven where she belonged.

If only she had known that soon it would become nothing more than a pile of ashes. But the future can't always be foreseen, just as death can't always be avoided.

* * *

 

**So, thoughts?**

**Did you enjoy Gruvia's scenes at the beginning? In case you didn't notice, they were inspired by a scene from the Tartarus Arc.**

**What about the meeting with Lyredy and the reveal of Ultear's death? It was completely unplanned, but I think it made for a nice addition. Ultear deserved more than just one chapter and I really wanted to explore Juvia and Meredy's friendship more. It was also time for Gray and Lyon to finally bury the hatchet and move on from what happened during the Games.**

**Did you like the funny scenes at the guild and their reactions to Gruvia being together? I thought Gray's response was very much in character, what did you think?**

**Lastly, what will Juvia decide to do about her discovery? Will she tell Gray or continue to keep it a secret in order to protect him?**

**Next chapter: Reunions. You can expect: Gruvia, Jerza, ElfEver and...the return of Tartarus. It's been a while since we've checked up on them. Another major reveal is coming as well.**

**I think it's about time we try amother challenge! So, in two chapters we'll have the addition of yet another minor character. If someone's able to guess who it is, they'll get a sneak peek of the next huge plot twist in this story. The first one was Gray and Juvia's childhood connection, so you can only guess how big the next one is.**

**Here are the clues:**

**1-This character played a huge role in Gray's early life**

**2-Two other characters who are close to Gray have a deep connection to them**

**Good luck!**

**(Chapter 14 will be posted once we reach 300 hits)**


	14. Reunions

**Hello, my dear readers. I'm so sorry that this is so late. I was planning on updating sooner, but since I'm currently traveling around Europe during my vacations, I've barely had time to do some writing. So it might take a while for me to post the next few chapters. I hope you can understand.**

**So, I was rewatching a few eps. of Fairy Tail (mainly the ones about Galuna Island) and I realized that I've made some mistakes here. It's a bit late to fix them now and I personally prefer the way I did things, so I won't change anything. However, just to make clear, here are two mistakes I've encountered:**

**1-Lyon didn't live in Antartica with Gray in the anime, he ended up with Ur because he searched for her in order to learn powerful magic and not because she rescued him from the rubbles.**

**2-Ur's death was 10 years before the beginning of the series, eleven if you consider the point where we're at in this story. In Connections I've considered that the destruction of Antartica occurred 10 years before and Ur took Gray and he stayed with her for at least 2 years before her ultimate sacrifice. Therefore it's been 8 years since Ur's death and not 10 like in the anime.**

 

**I really like this chapter, mainly the last two scenes. Happy reading!**

* * *

Fix You-Coldplay

High up above or down below

When you're too in love to let it go

But if you never try, you'll never know

Just what you're worth

Lights will guide you home

And ignite your bones

And I will try to fix you

* * *

 

_6 days later…_

"Natsu Dragneel, you come back here this instant!" A very mad Lucy shouted as she looked at her runaway boyfriend. Many people snickered at the cat drawing on her face.

"Sorry, Luce. Erza made me do it." The fire dragon slayer shouted as he kept running away from his irritated girlfriend.

"Hey, don't drag me into this." Erza protested from her place by the pool, she was currently involved in a sword fight with Panter Lily. The exceed smirked at their friends antics.

"You can't behave like an adult for one second, can you?!" An amused Gray remarked while crossing his arms and shaking his head. He was currently on the pool with Juvia while she told him about her latest mission with Gajeel.

"Shut up, ice head!" Natsu yelled without looking at Gray as he reached the door of the guild. Suddenly, it was opened and Natsu was thrown back a few feet by a bright light.

"Ouch. The hell?" The dragon slayer stood up and was surprised to find Sting, Rogue and Yukino, in their swimsuits, entering the guild.

"Hey, you guys!" Sting happily greeted everyone and many people smiled back while some just waved.

"I'm glad you could make it." Erza spoke and she received many odd glances.

"Wait, you invited them here?" Gray asked, looking suspiciously at the trio.

"Of course. They were of great assistance in the fight against the dragons, in case you've forgotten." The red head reminded everyone.

"Yeah, so Erza invited us to spend some time here, if it's okay with you guys." Rogue said a bit shyly, probably concerned of their reaction. Lucky for him, Fairy Tail was a warm and open minded guild.

"Of course. Thank you for coming." Lucy told them while she approached the trio, ignoring their odd faces as they noticed the cat drawing on hers.

"All right. I'm gonna hit the pool then!" Sting excitedly yelled before he started running towards the pool, knocking over Natsu in the process. Both fell to the floor as Yukino and Rogue watched with amused smiles.

"He's a lost cause." The black haired man said as Sting helped Natsu stand up with a nervous smile while the dragon slayer glared at him.

"So, Yukino, how have you been?" Lucy asked the celestial wizard as she approached her.

"I've been good, everyone's been treating me better since I decided to join Sabertooth again." She replied with a bright smile that Lucy returned.

"That's good to hear." The blonde said and Yukino cast another glance at Sting as he and Natsu challenged each other to a run towards the pool.

"Yes. Sting has been very kind, I truly think he's changed. He's a very good master." There was a blush on her face when she answered and Lucy smirked.

"I see." She said and Yukino blushed even more.

"So you two are very close, huh?" Cana showed up from no where, having heard the conversation.

"Yes, we are." Yukino answered with a smile before panic took over her face. "Wait, no, not like that…" She stuttered and the other two girls laughed.

Rogue watched them with disinterest, unsure what to do. Soon he was approached by Gajeel, followed closely by Levy, Gray and Juvia.

"Hey, man. How are you doing?" Gajeel asked him and he cast his older brother a smile.

"I've been good." He replied simply and there was an awkward silence as Levy and Gray stared between them in confusion.

"Wait, do you know each other?" The bluenette asked, sensing there was familiarity there, and not just from the games.

"Yes, Gajeel's my older brother." Rogue replied and Juvia gasped.

"So is this little Ryos?" She stared in disbelief at the grown man in front of her, recognition finally sinking in.

"I had forgotten you knew him too." Gajeel remarked while Gray stared at his girlfriend in confusion.

"Look at you, so handsome and strong! I knew you'd grow up to be just as powerful as your brother." The water mage praised the shadow dragon slayer, who looked a bit uncomfortable while her boyfriend wasn't too happy.

"Yeah, huh, thanks." Rogue muttered, avoiding her eyes and Juvia surprised him by moving forward until she was in front of him.

"Come here, little Ryos." Before he knew what was happening, she had grabbed him and her arms wrapped tightly around his frame. Gray watched this with clear jealously, Gajeel rolled his eyes and Levy, Lucy and Yukino smiled. "Oh, I missed you so much." Juvia said as she kept Rogue trapped in the hug and he awkwardly patted her back, just as his older brother would.

"I missed you too, Juvia." He whispered as a smile came to his face. She was just as unpredictable and overwhelmingly kind as he remembered.

"For Mavis sake, woman, let him breathe!" Gajeel yelled as Juvia kept holding onto Rogue.

"Sorry." She whispered after she let the young dragon slayer go.

"No problem." He gave her a genuine smile that she returned.

"So, how exactly do you two know each other?" Gray asked, voice tight. Juvia's eyes widened once she remembered that he had been there and was probably feeling a bit jealous.

"You're Gray Fullbuster, right? I remember from the tournament, how you defeated Rufus. I was impressed." Rogue said before she could explain anything. The ice mage stared at him suspiciously.

"Oh boy." Levy muttered, sensing the tension in the air.

"Yeah. And you're Gajeel's brother?" Gray asked, arms crossed over his chest. Rogue confirmed with a nod.

"Back when we were in Phantom Lord, Rogue would visit sometimes. I loved playing with him, he was such a sweet boy." Juvia explained quickly and Gray looked back at her while the dragon slayer blushed.

"You never mentioned him." The ice mage didn't intend to sound so accusatory.

"I don't know why we didn't." Juvia shrugged and Rogue watched the couple with sudden interest. "But I see no reason to be jealous, my love." She added and a small blush appeared on Gray's face.

"I wasn't jealous." He protested lamely and their friends laughed.

"So you're Juvia's boyfriend." It was Rogue's turn to stare at Gray suspiciously.

"Yeah. Got a problem with that?" The ice mage asked, eyebrows raised.

"Not as long as you don't hurt her." Rogue replied firmly and Gray rolled his eyes, already fed up with everyone threatening him in case he ever hurt Juvia.

"Don't worry, my beloved Gray would never hurt me. He's the one who chased away the rain." This had Rogue's eyes widening.

"Really? So the rain's truly gone?" Juvia confirmed with a nod while smiling as Gray put his arm around her and brought her closer. "Guess he's better than that jerk who left you because of the rain." Her eyes widened and he knew he shouldn't have said that.

"What jerk? Who's he talking about?" Gray asked his girlfriend and she laughed nervously.

"No one." She said too quickly and he raised his eyebrows."I'm serious, Gray, he was no one important."

"Yeah, I get why you didn't mention him. Bora was an ass." Gajeel said and, seeing the interested looks on everyone's faces, Juvia decided leaving now was the best way to avoid talking about Bora.

"So, I'm super thirsty, shall we get a drink?" She turned to her boyfriend with a pleading look.

"Sure. We'll be right back." He saw how uncomfortable the subject made her, so he complied to her wish. The subject of her ex-boyfriend clearly made her uncomfortable, so he decided to let it go. When she was ready to tell him about it, she would.

* * *

 

Once they were inside the guild, Juvia was quick to reach the bar and started making a smoothie. Gray watched her with interest and curiosity, unsure if he should the subject any further. Thankfully, his decision was postponed by the appearance of Elfman and Evergreen.

The couple came from the direction where the supply cabinet was located and one glance was enough to know what they had been doing there. Both had messy hairs they had clearly attempted to fix, but failed and while her dress was spotless, his shirt was wide open.

"Can I just say this was a great idea? Who knew you could be so smart." Evergreen praised, not having noticed the other couple in the room yet.

"What can I say, I am a man." Elfman replied and she rolled her eyes.

"You really need to learn that being a man doesn't mean being smart." He smirked at her before pulling her closer, their chests pressing together.

"It sure does, if it helped me get a woman like you." Her face softened at his response and she gently caressed his cheek while he leaned into her touch, both smiling at each other. It was clear those two were in love and Gray and Juvia hated having to disrupt their sweet moment.

"You two are so cute!" The water mage couldn't help herself. They almost jumped upon hearing her voice and looked at her and Gray with shock.

"What the heck are you doing here?" Evergreen asked, clearly upset.

"We're getting a drink." Gray pointed towards Juvia's smoothie.

"Okay, then. I should be going outside, Mira wanted to talk to me." Elfman nervously said while blushing.

"You two better keep quiet unless you want to be turned into stone." The brunette threatened and Gray simply raised an eyebrow while Juvia smiled at her.

"You do know that everyone knows you two are together, right?" The ice mage asked them and their faces paled.

"No way, we've been very discreet." Evergreen attempted while her boyfriend seemed unsure.

"Are you forgetting what happened during the Grand Magic Banquet?" Juvia asked with a sly smile. Gray had mentioned to her that their friends had been listening on them.

"Shit!" Elfman said before he looked desperately at the angered Evergreen.

"We asked you guys to keep it a secret. Who was it that told the rest of the guild? Was it Titania?" There was a threatening glow in her eyes.

"No one did." Gray replied before laughing. "You're just not as discreet as you think."

"If you don't mind me asking, when did you two get together?" Juvia curiously asked. Everyone knew about it because of the way the couple acted over the course of the Games, but it was unclear whether they got together back then or even before that.

"I'm not answering that, it's none of your business." The fairy woman said while crossing her arms and glaring at them.

"Come now, Ever. It's not their fault everyone found out." Elfman attempted to comfort her, only to have her glare at him. He turned back to the other couple with a large blush on his face.

"When we were training for the games. That's when we..." He didn't finish, but they understood.

"So it's been a while." Gray said and they nodded.

"That's good. You two seem happy together." Juvia commented and Evergreen couldn't help but to smile.

"Yes, we are. Or well, we were until you nosy people figured it out and began spreading the word." She complained and Gray rolled his eyes.

"That doesn't have to be a bad thing. Now that everyone knows, you can be together without worrying about having to hide it. Trust me, it makes things easier." Juvia attempted to comfort them, a wide smile on her face.

"She's right, Ever. Maybe it isn't so terrible if everyone knows." Elfman told his girlfriend, who still looked unsure.

"Are you forgetting about Freed and Bixlow? Those two will make our lives a living hell." She reminded and the large man smiled, to her surprise.

"Don't forget I'm a real man. If they start bothering you, you tell me and I'll teach them a lesson." He winked and she blushed before sighing.

"Fine. Let's talk to your sister first, I'd rather take my chances with Mira than those two idiots." She started walking away and Elfman stared at her back with an adoring look Gray knew all too well before he followed her.

* * *

 

"Okay, I'm going for a walk." Erza said as she watched Natsu and Lucy 'make up' after the blonde cleaned up the cat drawing he had made. There was no response as the couple barely payed attention to her. She shook her head while smiling before leaving them alone.

As she entered the guild hall, she caught sight of Gray and Juvia having a chat with Elfman and Evergreen. The latter two, for some reason she didn't understand, insisted on keeping their encounters a secret even though everyone knew they were together. Erza guessed they preferred their privacy.

After watching their conversation from afar for a few moments, she realized that she was intruding, so she left. As soon as the guild doors were closed behind her and she was alone, Erza sighed. These past few days had been hard for her, watching all her friends getting together and being happy with their partners when it just wasn't possible for her. Not when Jellal was hunted by the council and considered a wanted criminal.

As if summoned by her thoughts, the blue haired man appeared not far from where the guild was. He was covered up, of course, but Erza would never fail to recognize his blue hair. She slowly made her way towards him until she was in front of him. Dark green eyes stared back at her.

"Hey." The red head whispered, casting him a smile that Jellal couldn't help but to return.

"Erza." He greeted with a nod.

"I'm glad to see you." She whispered, one of her hands unconsciously lifting up so it could touch his cheek.

"Can we talk in private?" He asked and she nodded before walking back to the guild. Jellal followed her as she opened the door, making the two couples who had been talking look at them. After greetings were exchanged, they continued on their way towards the stairs. Once they were inside a room Master Makarov used for meetings with S-Class mages, Erza spoke.

"So, how have you been? Gray and Juvia mentioned you were in Magnolia a few days ago." Jellal removed his cape, having no use for it inside the guild, and placed it on a chair.

"I'm sorry I didn't visit earlier. I've been quite busy trying to gather more information on Tartarus." She nodded in understanding. He had told her on a letter she had received a few days before that he had been trying to gather information about the dark guild, suspecting they might be more active as of late.

"Did you come up with anything useful?" She inquired and he shook his head.

"No, they're too good at covering their tracks. I found no evidence of their activity." He sighed in clear frustration and she gave him a gentle smile.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find something." She offered and he smiled as well.

"I've missed you." He admitted as he closed the distance between them.

"I've missed you too." She replied and before they knew what was happening, his lips were on hers, arms encircling her waist as he brought her closer and she pushed him back until his back hit the door. They kissed fiercely and desperately until air because a necessity and they were forced to pull apart.

"I wasn't expecting that." He breathlessly commented and she smiled.

"Neither was I." She replied before leaning in for another heated kiss. This time she was the one pressed against the wall while he showered her uncovered neck and shoulders with gentle kisses, both hands on her waist to keep her in place. Her hands grabbed at his hair while she enjoyed the warmth and pleasure his kisses provided. Soon his mouth left her neck and he kissed her lips once again.

"I'm sorry." Jellal apologized once they pulled apart.

"What for?" She was confused, still in a daze from his kisses.

"I shouldn't have kissed you. I just... couldn't help myself." He said as he removed his hands from her waist and Erza had to hold onto the wall to keep herself in an upright position.

"Jellal…" She tried to say something, but he interrupted her.

"We can't, Erza. Not yet. Remember the agreement." He told her, gently yet firmly. She sighed as she recalled the agreement they had made and once again cursed herself for going along with it.

* * *

 

_2 weeks before…_

_"Erza…" Jellal swallowed hard, looking conflicted. Her heart beat furiously inside her chest and Erza knew she couldn't take it if he rejected her, even though she couldn't be sure he would do so._

_"Don't say anything." She pleaded and he looked into her eyes, she didn't even realize there were tears falling down her face until his gentle hands started wiping them._

_As she requested, he said nothing. But what he did, well, she hadn't been expecting it. Before she knew what was happening, he had brought her face closer to his, still staring intensely into her eyes. She was overwhelmed by the pain reflected in his, but she didn't have time to think. With another deep sigh, he closed his eyes and suddenly he was kissing her._

_She was caught by surprise once again, but easily relaxed and kissed him back. It felt more wonderful than she could have dreamed and she had to hold onto his shoulders to keep her legs from falling, they were suddenly so weak. His hands left her face and moved down to her shoulders and then her waist as he brought her closer._

_"I wasn't expecting that." Erza said after they pulled apart._

_"Neither was I." His face held uncertainty, fear, pain. "We can't do this again." He pushed her away a little and attempted to ignore her hurt expression._

_"Why not? Why should we deny ourselves a chance at happiness?" The red head asked, fed up with his attitude. She knew he wanted to be with her as much as she wanted to be with him._

_"Because I could never be happy. Not when the weight of all I've done doesn't allow it." Erza sighed, they had had this conversation way too many times._

_"You still refuse to let go." She stated and Jellal looked almost guilty._

_"It's not that simple." Before she could protest, he continued. '"But I can see now that it's useless to keep dwelling on it, it will only make us both suffer."_

_"Then why…" She started asking and he interrupted._

_"I do love you, Erza. More than anything. But until I have managed to forgive myself and clear my name, I can't be with you." She was taken aback by the unexpected confession, but her heart was filled with warmth and happiness._

_"It doesn't matter to me that you're a wanted criminal. We can find a way." She attempted, but he was determined._

_"It matters to me. I want to be worthy of your affections." He explained and Erza simply nodded. She could see that she wouldn't be able to convince him that he already was._

_"Alright. So what do you propose we do?" She inquired and he smiled, thankful she wasn't pushing him on the subject._

_"I hate to cause you even more suffering, but I need you to wait." She sighed._

_"That's not ideal, but I can see there's no changing your mind." Once again, he looked almost guilty. "So I have no choice but to agree to your terms."_

_"Thank you, Erza. I promise you, when this is all over, I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make you happy." His response was sincere and she was filled with so much warmth and happiness that she couldn't help herself. She kissed him again, even more passionately than before._

* * *

 

"I'm afraid I must get going now." Jellal said once they finished reveling about the past.

"You don't have to. Stay." Erza knew being alone in the same room didn't help either of them follow their agreement, but she wanted his company. It had been 2 weeks since she had last seen him, after all.

"I apologize Erza, but I really can't stay here anymore." He sighed and she was confused. "Meredy told me that people have grown suspicious, she thinks someone might be onto us. We need to leave Magnolia."

"Already? I've barely talked to you and you have to leave?" The red head pouted and he gave her a sad smile.

"I am sorry. I wish I could stay longer with you." Erza knew he meant it, but he had more important things to worry about. If he was caught, there was no way they could be together.

"So do I." She sighed. "Promise me that you won't do anything stupid." Her tone was firm and Jellal knew she needed that promise.

"I promise. You needn't worry about me, Erza. I'll be fine." She nodded before placing both hands on his cheeks so she could stare into his eyes.

"I love you." She confessed once again and his smile was as bright as the sun.

"I love you too." They kissed once again, gentler this time. It was a promise that they would stay safe until they met again.

"Will you keep writing?" Erza asked while watching him put his cape back on.

"Of course." The letters were their only way of communicating while they were apart, so he couldn't being himself to stop writing them.

As they descended the stairs, opened the guild door and he walked away, Erza could only hope that the time for them to truly be together would come soon.

* * *

_Near the Lamia Scale guild..._

"Do you really have to go?" Lyon complaied while he stared at the pinkette in front of him.

"I'm sorry, but yes. Jellal and I can't risk being here anymore." Meredy replied while adjusting the cape around her. They were outside of his house, very close to the guild and she knew if someone saw them it would raise a lot of questions that neither wished to answer.

"Well, I'm gonna miss you." His reply had her raising an eyebrow.

"Really?" She questioned, disbelieving.

"Of course. Besides being a great help in keeping me stress free, you're good company." A bright smile appeared on her face.

"Aren't you a true prince charming?" She joked and he laughed while shaking his head.

"So I guess this means it's over." Lyon said after a few moments and she stared at him in confusion. "Us. We can't keep this going if you'll to be on the run."

"We both knew it had to come to an end eventually." She shrugged, though on the inside she was hurting at the thought of not seeing him again. They had gotten quite close during their three weeks of sleeping together and Meredy dared say they were friends.

"But does it really? I mean, can't we find a way to see each other again?" The ice mage inquired and she was surprised by his persistence.

"Are you saying you'd like to..." She began asking and he interrupted.

"Yes. I can't deny the fact that I've gotten used to our encounters. It would feel somehow wrong to go on without them." Lyon admitted with a small blush and she blushed as well.

"I'm sure you'll find another...partner, and quite easily I might add. I've noticed you're quite popular around here." She was surprised when Lyon shook her head.

"It wouldn't be the same. No one has ever made me feel so...comfortable." Meredy stared at him with raised eyebrows.

"Now you're starting to sound like Jellal when he talks about Erza." He cast her a smile.

"I'm only saying I like being with you. That doesn't mean I'm in love with you, but I do consider you a good friend." He explained and she wasn't sure how to reply to that statement, so she settled for smiling.

"Thank you. I consider you a friend as well." There was an awkward silence as each pondered what to do about their situation.

"So, don't you have to go?" Lyon asked after a few moments and she nodded quickly.

"Yes. Yes, Jellal's waiting for me." Meredy turned around and began walking away, but he grabbed her arm.

"Meredy?" She looked back at him, curious.

"Yes?" The ice mage let go of her arm and took a deep breath before speaking.

"I meant it. I'd like to see you again." His gaze was determined and firm. She could only nod.

"Okay. I'll keep writing, then. Once Jellal and I arrive at a good location, I'll let you know." She told him and it was his turn to nod.

It was time to say goodbye. Unsure how to do this, Lyon extended his hand while nervously staring at her.

"Goodbye, then. And thank you, for..." He found it difficult to finish the sentence, but she understood.

"Goodbye, Lyon. Hopefully I'll see you soon." Meredy told him as she shook his hand before stepping away.

As he watched her walk away from his house and disappear in the distance, the ice mage couldn't help but feel an emptiness caused by her absence.

* * *

 

"Now that was awkward." Gray said after he was alone with Juvia again.

"A little, yes. But I'm happy for them." The bluenette answered with a small smile.

"It's good to see our friends are happy. After everything that went down during the Games, it's only fair we have some quiet time." She nodded in agreement before handing him his drink. He had decided to try a strawberry smoothie after she had managed to convince him that they were delicious.

"I couldn't agree more." They drank their smoothies in silence for a few moments before Gray broke it.

"You were so right, this is great!" She laughed at his reaction.

"I'm glad you like it." Juvia replied with the brightest smile and Gray placed the drink on the counter before he circled it, going to the other side where she was.

"You know, I think you deserve a reward." She raised an eyebrow while he smirked.

"Is that so? What do you have in mind?" She placed the smoothie on the counter as well before crossing her arms and Gray had a hard time diverging his attention from her chest, which was barely covered by her purple bikini with white polka dots.

"I have an idea." He placed both hands on the counter, trapping her between his arms, before leaning down for a heated kiss. In instants her arms were wrapped tightly around his neck as she brought him even closer, their chests touching. After letting out a moan, Gray's arms went to her legs as he lifted her up, having her sit on the counter while she wrapped her legs around his waist and they kept kissing.

"Hmm... I think I'll be making smoothies for you more often." Juvia said once the need to breathe forced them to pull apart.

"I certainly wouldn't complain." He kept his arms around her waist while she let hers fall from around his neck and to his chest, where she traced his guild mark.

"We should probably go back before our friends come looking for us." Gray said and her hand stopped.

"We've only been gone for a few minutes." She replied with a shrug and his face was slightly blushed when he spoke next.

"But what if someone walks in?" The ice mage gave a panicked look towards the closed door as if it would open at any second.

"Why are you so worried?" The water mage asked with concern before smirking. "Is someone suddenly a little shy?" He avoided her eyes as he blushed even more. Juvia's teasings was something he was having a hard time getting used to.

"Not at all." He replied with a smirk of his own, catching her by surprise, before kissing her again. She moaned as his hands began roaming her back, getting dangerously close to her bikini straps. "How about we check out that supply closet?" Gray whispered in her ear as his hands stopped moving and his lips left hers. Her breathing was shallow as she answered.

"Not right now." Much to his surprise, she slightly pushed him away as she attempted to regain her breath and he watched her with confusion.

"Juvia, is something wrong?" Gray asked upon seeing her frown.

"I have to... I have to tell you something." She replied, still breathless. Whatever this was, he had a feeling it wasn't good news.

"Okay." He helped her get down from the counter and gave her an encouraging look. This time the bluenette was the one who glanced towards the door with panic.

"Not here. Can we take a walk?" She was suddenly acting weird and his heart was filled with fear.

"Sure." The ice mage replied simply and she nodded before walking towards the guild door. He followed her outside and waited for her to speak as they walked along the river.

"I found something." Juvia said at last and he looked at her, her pained expression did nothing to calm down his racing heart.

"What is it?" He asked and she sighed.

"When we were in Antartica." She paused and it was his turn to sigh. "Do you remember that cross, with your name on it?" He nodded, a grim look on his face. She knew that the last thing he'd want was to discuss Antartica, so whatever this was, had to be really important. "I think I know who might have put it there."

"How?" He inquired, eyes wide.

"I haven't been completely honest with you." Juvia said instead of answering and she stopped walking. "I told you about Deliora's attack, but I lied about what happened next." There was silence as he tried to take it all in. He knew he should be mad at her for lying. However, having known Juvia for months and dated her for weeks, Gray knew she only did so when attempting to protect those she loved.

"What really happened then?" Seeing as she wanted to come clean now, Gray found no reason to scold her for lying. He was sure she had probably punished herself enough.

"I was kidnapped." The water mage told him and he was shocked. "Well, at the time, I thought I was being rescued. This woman was there and she told me that she would take me somewhere safe. " She swallowed hard and he could see tears threatening to fall. This was clearly a traumatic memory.

"You don't have to tell me if it's too hard." He told her gently before squeezing her hand.

"No, I have to. You need...you have to know." She took a deep breathing before continuing. "My memories from back then are very blurry, but I remember that place and people..." She paused once again as fear crossed her face. "Bad people. They tortured me for their own amusement."

"Those bastards! Who are they? Where are they?" He couldn't help himself. The bluenette shook her head while the tears began to fall.

"I don't know. As I said, I don't remember it well. I just remember the pain." She began crying harder and Gray quickly wrapped his arms around her comfortingly. Trying to push away the memories, Juvia pulled her head away from his chest and continued.

"And there was this man. He was gentle and kind, a prisoner just like me. His name was Silver." The ice mage was so shocked that his arms fell down and he took a step back, staring at her in disbelief.

"No. That's not... Can't be." Gray shook his head wildly.

"I had no idea he was your father. He didn't talk much about his family." Juvia knew she had to tell him, but this was just too hard. "But after we found the cross, everything clicked. I remember once he mentioned his son was named Gray and the similarities between the two of you can't be ignored."

"That was almost a week ago. Why didn't you tell me?" Gray asked after taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down.

"I'm so sorry. I wanted to tell you, but I wasn't sure. I was also scared that you'd hate me for lying." There was guilt in her expression and genuine regret. Gray knew that hiding this must have killed her and it didn't take him long to decide to forgive her.

"I don't hate you, Juvia." She stared at him with surprise and hope.

"You don't?" He rolled his eyes, a bit disappointed at her reaction.

"Of course not. Do you really think that I would stop loving you so easily?" A small smile broke on her face at his words.

"I'm sorry. So sorry." Juvia apologized once again, head lowered until he lifted her chin up and forced her to look at him.

"I can see keeping this secret has hurt you and you must have a good reason for not telling me." He told her sincerely before his face turned serious. "But this can't happen again, we're supposed to trust each other." She nodded in agreement.

"I know and I do trust you, but I was just... trying to protect you, I guess." Gray looked at her in confusion.

"How so?" He curiously asked and Juvia bit her lip before answering.

"I know you and if you thought there was a chance your father might still alive, you'd want to track him down." Her response only made him more confused.

"Why do you sound like it's a bad thing?" The ice mage questioned and there was fear in her eyes when she replied.

"These people are dangerous, Gray. I couldn't let them hurt you and I know they will if you get too close." Understanding crossed his face and he couldn't help but to laugh, much to her surprise.

"You're just too much." He said between laughs, looking at her with so much love she was overwhelmed. "Always worrying about me and trying to protect me." She smiled before closing the distance between them. "I don't know what to do about that. I'm used to being the one protecting the people I love, not the other way around." He admitted and Juvia held his face between her hands.

"You need to let me protect you." She told him while looking deeply in his eyes.

"Alright." He nodded and she let her hands fall so that they could rest on his shoulders. "You know, I do love it when you do that. You're so strong and determined, just like I am." He wrapped his arms around her middle and her own tightened around his neck.

"I'm just scared of losing you." The water mage admitted and once again Gray was taken aback by just how similar they were.

"I know. But you won't. I'll be careful when seeking my father, I promise." Her face was once again filled with fear and uncertainty.

"Are you sure you want to do this? There's no way of knowing if he's still alive and, judging by the fact he helped me escape from that horrible place, the odds aren't likely." Gray knew she was right and it was a shot in the dark. He knew that if his father turned out to be dead it would feel like losing him all over again. But the ice mage also knew he had to at least try, because not knowing was a lot worse.

"I am sure. I need to at least try, because I know not knowing will just drive me crazy. Besides, we owe him at least that, for saving our lives." His choice of words was enough to convince her as Juvia remembered how Silver had helped her escape, sacrificing his own life to save hers. He deserved to be free too.

"I will help you then. My memories are the best clue we have on how to find Silver, so I will try to unlock them." Gray looked at her uncertainly.

"Are you sure you want to do this? I know it will be painful for you, reliving it all." He questioned, concerned.

"Maybe, but if it means that we can find him and keep him safe, I can take it." He was proud of her determination and thankful for her help.

"Thank you." Instead of replying, she leaned in to kiss him once again and he eagerly returned it.

They would find his father, he was sure of it. He just hoped that what they found wouldn't be worse than the 10 years he spent believing that Silver was dead.

* * *

 

_In Tartarus headquarters..._

"So the boy has decided to seek out Silver. This should make for an interesting tale." Keyes said with a smirk.

"Indeed." Zeref replied, looking bored.

"Aren't you worried the girl might remember something, master?" Seilah asked from his other side and the dark wizard shook his head.

"Not at all. The spell you used was very efficient, Seilah. I am confident she will remain clueless to what's really important." He told her before his attention went towards the unconscious man on lying on the floor.

"And what if she remembers him?" Keyes asked, also eyeing Silver, who looked like he had seen better days.

"Then they will immerse themselves in a wild goose chase. That could prove advantageous, since it will keep them occupied for now." Zeref replied before opening once again the book he always carried with him. It showed the image of Gray and Juvia in their reunion before shifting to Fairy Tail's pool party that was still going on. As a young man with bright pink hair and dark green eyes came into view, Zeref visibly tensed.

"Have you decided what's to be done about him?" Keyes inquired curiously and the dark wizard shook his head.

"Not yet." He replied simply and Seilah had a thoughtful look on her face.

"Shouldn't we retrieve him too? After all, having master E.N.D by our side would certainly assure our victory." She suggested and Zeref looked conflicted.

"I have thought of that, but I wish to leave Natsu out of this." He stared at the, eyes suddenly flashing red. "Do you understand? He shall not be harmed."

"Of course, sir." Seilah replied dutifully while Keyes simply nodded, much too interested in Gray and Juvia's image on the book.

"What about Silver's boy?" He inquired and a small smile came to Zeref's face.

"For now, we'll leave him alone. He's proven to be an important advantage since Juvia Lockser's desperately in love with him. When the time comes, we'll use him as planned." A wicked smile came to the skeleton's face.

"I can almost see it now, how his story will end. It will be tragically dark and painful." The thought clearly amused him and even Seilah offered a smile.

"Yes, all of their stories will end soon." Both demons laughed darkly and humorlessly while the dark wizard remained silent, hands tightly holding onto the necklace he kept hidden behind his cape.

"Very well. I wish to be left alone now, I have some planning to do." They stopped laughing immediately and didn't protest as they said their goodbyes. Once they had left and Zeref was alone with the exception of Silver's unconscious form and the book showcasing Natsu's image once again, he removed the necklace from his neck and opened the pendant. An old picture of himself with the same pink haired boy from Fairy Tail was shown.

"It's strange to think that you're so close, yet so far." He whispered, eyes searching between the book and the pendant. "I truly wish my original plan had worked, but you failed me, Natsu. Even as the most powerful of all my creations, you weren't strong enough to accomplish the task." A sad look crossed his face before he closed the pendant and put the necklace back on.

"Sometimes I wonder if you might be able to complete it now, I guess I will test it out. Nothing would make me happier than having you be the one to end my suffering." With one last look at Natsu's image, Zeref closed the book before using his magic to hide it. This book was his trump card, the most precious object of all.

As he walked along the corridors of the dark guild, a smile was present on his face. It wouldn't be long before his plan was put into action and he would finally be able to find peace.

* * *

**So, thoughts?**

**Did you enjoy the scenes with Fairy Tail and Sabertooth? I really wanted to write Rogue as Gajeel's brother and explore his relationship with Juvia since I'm fairly certain these two knew each other back from Phantom Lord. Also, having a jealous Gray is always great.**

**What about that scene with Gruvia and ElfEver talking? I thought it would be nice to include these two again, they're just too adorable.**

**Jerza fans, are you satisfied now? Hope they were both in character here. It's difficult writing so many different characters and trying to get their personalities right.**

**I'm afraid it will take a good while before we have scenes with these two again, but Jellal will still be crucial to the story, as well as Meredy. Hope everyone enjoyed that little goodbye scene with Lyon, we'll have more on Lyredy in later chapters when they meet again.**

**So now Juvia has finally told Gray about Silver. What did you think of their conversation? Was Gray's reaction too OOC? And will they be able to find Silver?**

**Lastly and most importantly, that last scene. A lot of reveals there, though those who read the manga already know. I'll make it clear that even though I haven't finished Fairy Tail, I do know a lot about Zeref's backstory and his connection to Natsu and I plan on using that here. But keep in mind that I don't know everything, so if some things are different that's why.**

**One more thing: pay close attention to the book Zeref carries with him. It's very important, hence why I always mention it. Can you guess which one it is?**

**Next chapter: Only 6 Remain. You can expect GaLe scenes, a lot of Gruvia, GrayLu friendship and more on Zeref and Silver.**

**It shound be posted once we reach 460 hits.**


	15. Only 6 Remain

**Hello, dear readers. I'm so sorry that this chapter is sooo late! Can you believe I just completely forgot to post it? I mean, I finished it a few days ago. So sorry! :(**

**Anyways, here we have the 15th chapter of Connections. Less than 10 Remain now. **

**In order to make up for my lateness, I've decided to present all of you with a gift. In the end of this chapter, you'll find an interesting sneak peek for the next one. Hope you like it!**

 

**Happy reading!**

* * *

 

Because You Loved Me-Celine Dion

For all those times you stood by me  
For all the truth that you made me see  
For all the joy you brought to my life  
For all the wrong that you made right  
For every dream you made come true  
For all the love I found in you  
I'll be forever thankful baby  
You're the one who held me up  
Never let me fall  
You're the one who saw me through through it all

You were my strength when I was weak  
You were my voice when I couldn't speak  
You were my eyes when I couldn't see  
You saw the best there was in me  
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach  
You gave me faith 'cause you believed  
I'm everything I am  
Because you loved me

* * *

 

_2 weeks later..._

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Levy, happy birthday to you!" Everyone in the Fairy Tail guild sang as the petit bluenette sat at the middle of the tables they had joined together, a strawberry cake Mira had baked in front of her. Lucy was on her right side, a reluctant Gajeel on the left, Panter Lily on her lap as she held him and Troy and Jet behind her.

It was August 11, Levy's 18th birthday.

"Thanks, you guys. You're the best!" She told everyone with a bright smile after blowing the candles out.

"No problem, Levy." Lucy told her before the two best friends hugged each other tightly. From Gajeel's side, Juvia gave her friend a small push while giving him a firm look.

"Say something nice." She whispered and the dragon slayer knew he should, but he wasn't exactly a pro when it came to being nice.

"Hmm...shrimp." Juvia rolled her eyes at the choice of the nickname as Gajeel tapped the other bluenette on the shoulder while she was departing from Lucy's hug.

"Yeah?" Levy turned around and eyed him expectantly and the water mage could have sworn he was sweating.

"I hmm... Happy birthday!" Gajeel awkwardly said while rubbing the back of his neck and from Juvia's side, Gray eyed him with a smirk.

"Thank you, Gajeel." Levy replied while giving him a big smile. Deciding to save her best friend before this got even more awkward, Juvia took a few steps until she was at his side.

"You know, Gajeel here has a present for you." She told the petit bluenette and Levy's eyes widened in surprise.

"Really? You didn't have to." She shook her head, but the smile on her face showed them her happiness with the news.

"Oh, yeah, I had almost forgotten." Gajeel gave Juvia a thankful look before picking up the present she held out to him. "Here." He pretty much shoved it into Levy's arms before looking away with a small blush. Juvia silently laughed at her friend.

"At least we're not that hopeless." Gray whispered to Natsu and both snickered.

"Is that so? Do I need to take a walk down memory lane, Gray?" A smirking Cana asked him, having heard his prevous comment. The ice mage stopped laughing immediately and glared at her.

"Oh My God!" Everyone's attention went to the petit bluenette who was almost jumping with joy as she tightly held onto the book in her arms.

"What book is it, Levy?" Lucy curiously asked and Levy showed it to her. The title said "Encyclopedia on the History of Bacal". (413 days reference)

"It's exactly the one I needed most!" She excitedly said before turning back to Gajeel. "How did you know?" She questioned and he smirked.

"I have my ways." The dragon slayer replied mysteriously and Levy raised an eyebrow.

"I bet Juvia's the one who told you." Lucy said and the water mage quickly shook her head.

"No, of course not. He figured it out on his own." She defended her BFF, but everyone could tell she was lying.

"Well, thank you both for it." Levy said before an argument could break out. She approached Gajeel before hugging him excitedly. At first he seemed surprised, but soon his arms also embraced her and he patted her back awkwardly while blushing furiously, trying his best to ignore Juvia and Lucy's identical smirks.

After pulling away from the hug, Levy then turned to Juvia with a bright smile.

"When it's your birthday, Juvia, be sure to let me know what you need." She winked at the bluenette, who smiled.

"Speaking of which, when is your birthday?" A puzzled Lucy asked and Juvia shrugged.

"September 22nd." She replied simply and the blonde's eyes widened.

"That's in only like, 6 weeks. We don't have nearly enough time to prepare." She started freaking out as well as Mira and Lisanna.

"Prepare what?" They were immensely surprised by the water mage's genuine confusion.

"Your birthday party, of course!" Erza excitedly said and suddenly Juvia was looking at them in shock.

"You're going to throw me a party?" The girls cast her bright smiles.

"Of course! It will be fun!" Cana yelled while downing her 3rd barrel since the party started.

"Why are you so surprised?" Lucy questioned and Gajeel answered that one.

"Juvi's not used to it, we didn't do birthday parties back in Phantom Lord." He explained and understanding crossed their faces.

"You poor thing." Mira told the bluenette while approaching her.

"When was the last time you celebrated your birthday?" Gray asked his girlfriend.

"I suppose it was before my father died, so about 11 years ago." She told them and he stared at her almost pitifully.

"That's ridiculous. Birthdays are meant to be celebrated!" Erza spoke determinedly.

"I guess it's settled then. We'll be throwing you the best birthday party ever!" Lucy told Juvia and the water mage smiled.

"Thank you." Tears of joy were brimming in her eyes and as Gray hugged her from behind, gently kissing her head, she let them fall. She would have never expected to be so happy, but Fairy Tail had a way of always lifting your spirits.

* * *

 

After the party was over, Gray, Juvia, Gajeel, Levy, Lucy, Natsu, Erza, the Strauss siblings, Cana, Wendy and the exceeds decided to go to the beach to relax. While some of them settled on playing volleyball, Juvia and Gray settled on diving right into the sea. They swam around until they reached a large rock that they climbed.

"Look at the horizon, it's beautiful." Juvia told her boyfriend and he nodded.

"Yeah." He replied before lying down on the rock.

"I wonder what's on that island." She pointed towards a turtle shaped island and Gray just shrugged.

"Why don't you go and find out?" He suggested and a large smile appeared on her face.

"That's a great idea. Will you come with me?" She extended her hand and was surprised when he shook his head.

"If it's alright with you, I'd rather stay here." She stared at him in concern. He had been acting weird since that morning and she had a hard time figuring out what had caused it. Whenever she had asked him about it, he had told her he was fine, just tired. But Juvia knew better than to believe that.

"Are you sure you're okay?" She asked and Gray offered a smile before sitting up.

"I'm fine, stop worrying." The ice mage kissed her softly before going back to lying on the rock. As he watched her ready to jump into the water, a moment of panic made him yell her name and she looked back worriedly. "I love you." It came out so bluntly that he cursed himself, but Juvia simply smiled brightly.

"I love you too." And then she disappeared into the sea. Gray tried his best to push away the fear that threatened to take over him as he watched the spot where she had been.

"There you are." He turned back and saw Lucy climb onto the rock and sit by his side. "Where's Juvia?" The blonde looked confused.

"She's swimming." Gray replied and she raised an eyebrow.

"And you're not joining her because…" The ice mage sighed and Lucy's face turned to worry. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Gray quickly looked away and pretended to be distracted.

"Come on, Gray. We've known each other for over a year, I know when something's bothering you." Lucy said while crossing her arms.

"I said it's nothing." She huffed in annoyance at his stubbornness.

"Stop being so stubborn and just talk to me." She told him firmly and Gray sighed.

"You wouldn't understand." She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder while giving him an encouraging look.

"Try me." The ice mage took a deep breath before he explained the reason for his weird attitude.

"I've been having nightmares lately." He admitted and Lucy raised an eyebrow.

"You've had them before, but it didn't make you act like this." She stated.

"The one from last night…. It was worse." Gray paused as he eyed the never ending ocean in front of them. "It was like my brain wanted to make me relive the worst moments of my life. My parents were there, Ur and Ultear and Juvia…" He couldn't bring himself to say more. An understanding look came to the blonde's face.

"You're afraid of losing her too." She said and Gray wasn't at all surprised that she figured it out so quickly.

"I'm always afraid of losing her." He admitted and Lucy gently squeezed his shoulder. "Afraid that this happiness I've found with her will be taken away like the other times." He had been over this with Juvia, had assured her he no longer worried so much about it, but it wasn't true. He did worry, every single day. Juvia had truly changed his life for the better and the mere thought of losing her was too much to bear.

It didn't help that besides worrying about her, he still had the problem of his father. They had made no progress in finding him and Juvia hadn't been able to unlock her memories, it seemed something was preventing her from doing so. When they had asked the master about it, he had given them the same theory Juvia had thought of: because the memories were too traumatic, the brain had blocked them as a way of protecting itself. So there went their initial plan, leaving them stuck.

"I can understand that. I felt the same after my mom died, and later when my father also passed away." Lucy's confession broke his train f thought. "But I learned that we can't live like that, always worrying. It only causes us to be stressed and suffer over things that didn't happen."

"I know that, but that doesn't stop my mind from torturing me." Gray sighed once again. "I wish there was a way to just getting rid of the nightmares." Lucy laughed bitterly.

"Trust me, if there was we'd have found it by now." She told him and Gray looked back to the ocean, heart in his hands.

"The thing is, this dream was different. Not just because of reliving my demons, there was also this woman." A faraway look came upon his face as he remembered it.

"Which woman?" Lucy asked and his answer caused her mouth to open in shock.

"I think it was Juvia's mother."

 

* * *

_"Juvia, look out!" Lyon screamed just as Gray was about to tell her he loved her. He watched in horror as a laser bean was coming towards her. The ice mage tried to move, but it was no use. Something was glueing him in place and he could do nothing but watch as she got hit and fell to the floor. Pale. Unmoving. Blue eyes opened in surprise._

_"No!" Gray screamed and made one last attempt to go towards her, surprised to find himself free. He kneeled by her side and cradled her broken body in his arms. "Please, no. Come on, Juvia, don't do this to me." He brokenly whispered as he pleaded for her to come back, to be alive. But it was too late. She was gone._

_"You failed to protect her." A voice said and he watched as his parents suddenly stood before him, Mika smiling sadly while Silver looked at him with disappointment._

_"After everything I've done to save her, you couldn't even protect her for one moment." The dark haired man shook his head and before Gray could attempt to defend himself, a new figure appeared._

_"You should have learned by now the importance of sacrifice, Gray." Ur told him, dark eyes filled with nothing but disappointment and his stomach churned._

_"I tried to save her, but I couldn't even move." He couldn't stop the tears from falling at the sight of the most important people in his life staring down at him._

_"That's because you are trapped. Forever cursed to watch the ones you love die without being able to do anything." Even Ultear had appeared now. Unlike the other three, she didn't seem to be disappointed in him, but there were no positive emotions displayed._

_"Why? What did I do to deserve this?" He cried, holding Juvia tighter as he kept praying that she would wake up. She didn't._

_"I don't know, sweetheart. But you're powerless against it." His mom told him with the same sad smile from before and Gray was feeling so lost and desperate he didn't know what to do._

_"That's not true." A woman's voice was heard and he was surprised to find Juvia standing in front of him. Well, it wasn't really Juvia. Though she had the same blue hair and pale skin, her eyes were brown._

_"Who are you?" He asked and the woman smiled kindly._

_"You already know that." She replied before approaching him. She kneeled on the ground and her hand gently touched Juvia's forehead. "I have faith that she will be alright, as long as you're by her side."_

_"She's dead because of me." Gray stated guiltily and the woman shook her head._

_"No, she isn't dead. The fate that awaits her is even worse than death." There was fear and sadness in her eyes._

_"You're her mother." Gray finally understood and she smiled at him._

_"Yes, my name is Juliet." She eyed Juvia's dead body once more. "You can't let it happen."_

_"How can I stop it?" The ice mage asked and_

_"Keep her safe. Only 6 weeks remain now, so you need to keep her within your sight. Promise me." Without a second thought, he nodded._

_"I promise I'll do my best to protect her." The woman smiled at him once again before her figure started vanishing._

_"I'm glad she's found you, you make her happy." Once she was gone, Gray realized he was alone with Juvia, all of the ghosts had vanished. As he stared at her pale face, he vowed to himself that he would never let it happen. She wouldn't die, not on his watch._

* * *

"Wow, that was intense." Lucy exclaimed after he finished explaining the nightmare.

"It was weird. Makes no sense why I would dream about Juvia's mother." Gray said, a bit creeped out.

"Perhaps it was a warning." The blonde suggested and he raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Like a message from beyond the grave."

"Yeah, right." Gray rolled his eyes at the suggestion, he wasn't the kind of person to believe in ghosts.

Unknown to him, somewhere deep inside the ocean, Juvia was having a similar conversation to the one from his dream with another ghost of the past.

* * *

 

The water mage had swam around for a while, trying to get to the island. Along the way she encountered many sea creatures, but her attention had been caught by a strange voice. She didn't recognize it and she didn't know where it had come from, since there was no one else there.

"Who's there?" She called as she came to a stop.

"I think you may already know that." The voice said and suddenly an image appeared in front of her. She easily recognized Gray's black hair and eyes and the boy next to him had white hair like Lyon.

"You're Ur." Juvia said, shocked upon seeing Gray's former master smiling down at the two boys in the image.

"Yes. When Deliora was eliminated at last by Gray on Galuna Island, the ice encasing him melted and fell into the ocean. I became a part of it." The woman explained and Juvia vaguely recalled Gray telling her about the final showdown with Deliora back on Galuna Island.

"It's amazing. I didn't know you could contact people." Juvia somehow didn't feel afraid for talking to a ghost, if what was happening was even real. She found comfort in talking to someone who knew and loved Gray just like her.

"Not usually, but I really needed to speak to you, Juvia." Ur replied and the water mage was confused.

"Why me? Didn't you wish to talk to Gray?" She looked back at the image of Gray and Lyon having a snowball fight while Ur watched them.

"Of course I do, but it seems this only works with someone who has water magic. Gray didn't reply when I tried calling him." Gray's master explained and a sad look came to Juvia's face.

"That's sad. He misses you." She told the older woman, who smiled.

"I know. I miss him too, but I'm glad that his life is working out even if I'm not a part of it." The water mage couldn't help but smile.

"He's come a long way." Ur smiled brightly at her.

"Thanks to you." Before Juvia could protest and tell Ur she wasn't the only reason Gray had moved on, the ice mage continued. "I was able to free him from the darkness, but you're the one that brought light into his life."

"He did the same for me. Before him, my life was filled with rain and darkness." Juvia admitted, voice shaky due to the tears she could no longer stop.

"I know that, I've been watching the both of you for a while. I was hoping you'd get together one day." The water mage blushed at the last words. "I called you today is because I wanted to get to know you better, but also I have something to ask you."

"Of course. What is it?" The bluenette asked and though she couldn't see Ur, she could sense the woman's smile.

"Take care of him. Keep him happy and safe, that's all I ask of you." A smile appeared on Juvia's face.

"I will. I promise you, I'll protect him and keep him away from the darkness." She vowed. That was all Ur needed to hear.

"Thank you. I must leave now, but will you tell Gray that I'll always love him and that I'm proud of him?"

"Of course. Good bye, Ur, and thank you, for taking care of him before" Juvia was sobbing so much by now she barely heard Ur's goodbye. After the older woman was gone, she stayed in place for a while before deciding to go back to Gray and tell him what happened.

* * *

 

_In the outskirts of Crocus..._

"No. No, no, no." Jellal said while nervously pulling at his hair. A crying Meredy was sitting on top of her sleeping bag while she watched him walk back and forth.

"I'm sorry." She whispered while sobbing and his eyes were hard when he turned to her.

"I can'y believe this!" He let out a deep sigh before stopping, arms crossed. "You lied to me. You said there was nothing else going on between you and Lyon." He accused and Meredy looked away, ashamed.

"I know." Jellal resumed pacing as he kept talking.

"This is bad. It's the last thing that could happen right now." In an attempt to fix the situation, she suggested the obvious solution.

"Maybe we should split up. I'm clearly only a liability now, so there's no reason for you to keep dragging me with you." He immediately shook his head as if the idea disgusted him.

"Of course not. I can't leave you on your own, even less now." He stared at her firmly and she held his gaze.

"Then take me back to Magnolia. We have friends there, they could help us." He looked conflicted, but Meredy knew she was on the right track. Erza was in Magnolia and Jellal surely wouldn't be too opposed to seeing her again.

"No, I need more time to...take this all in." He walked back to where she was and sat down on his sleeping bag. "You should rest now, Meredy. We'll figure this out later." It was a promise she knew he would keep. He would help her like he had always done. So she smiled and gave him a quick hug he didn't return before lying back down. In no time she was plunged into a dreamless sleep while the blue haired man was left to worry about their recent discovery.

* * *

 

After talking to Lucy a bit more, Gray decided to swim for a while in an attempt to rid his mind of all these dark thoughts. Soon Natsu was joining him and the two boys raced each other and got into a fight after the dragon slayer refused to acknowledge Gray's victory.

"What's going on?" A soaking wet Juvia finally returned to the beach and was puzzled to find all of their friends standing in a circle and cheering.

"Gray and Natsu are fighting, as usual." A clearly upset Lucy replied while crossing her arms and rolling her eyes at her boyfriend.

"Ready to give in, snowflake?" Natsu yelled just then as he stood with his foot pressed on Gray's chest and a victorious smile on his face.

"Keep dreaming, flame breath." Gray said before he quickly stood up and punched Natsu on the face, knocking him back.

"Go, Gray!" Erza cheered.

"He's a real man." Elfman added and Cana rolled her eyes.

"Didn't Evergreen make you stop with that 'real man' thing?" She complained and Lisanna smirked as Elfman blushed.

"She did, but he thinks that since she's not here it's no problem." The large man gave both women a pleading look.

"Don't tell Ever, please." They laughed upon noticing the fear of his girlfriend.

"Relax, after the surprise you've planned, I don't think she'd be mad at you for anything." Cana said before patting his back.

"Come on, boys, cut it out." Their attention went to Lucy as she yelled at the two fighters.

"Don't stop me, Luce, I'm almost winning." Natsu said before going for a punch on Gray's face. The ice mage dodged it and delivered a punch of his own. "Ouch."

"I'm serious. If you two keep this up we won't be able to clean you up before the date tonight." Lucy complained and both men stared at her puzzled.

"What date?" The ice mage asked dumbly and it was Juvia who answered.

"Our anniversary celebration. Did you forget, my love?" A smile came upon his face once he saw her.

"Of course not." He told her rather nervously and Natsu took advantage of his distracted state to kick him, sending him flying away. Gray used his magic to create a slide.

"Man. They never listen." Lucy muttered beneath her breath and that was when Erza decide to take matters into her own hands. Just as Gray approached Natsu once again and they were ready to resume their fight, she grabbed both of them by the hair an knocked their heads together.

"Stop fighting." She yelled before letting them fall to the floor and both boys rubbed their sore heads.

"Ouch, Erza." Gray complained while Juvia kneeled down by his side and gave him a pitiful look.

"Was that really necessary?" Natsu complained while Lucy helped him up.

"Next time listen to your girlfriend." Erza told him while crossing arms over her chest and glaring at him.

"Yeah. Now let's get you cleaned up." Lucy dragged him away from their friends and the beach. As they disappeared towards the guild hall, Juvia decided to follow them.

"Here, let's go too." She told her boyfriend and, instead of protesting, Gray decided to just let her. The look she had given him when comforting him before had made it clear that she had something important to tell him.

"Okay." Upon standing up, he tried his best to hide the pain, but Juvia saw right through his act.

"Perhaps it's best if you don't walk there." She suggested and before he could question it, she used her magic to incase him in a water bubble. Thankfully it was filled with oxygen, so he could breathe.

Juvia said goodbye to their friends and walked away, bringing him with her. Gray felt a bit emasculated and embarrassed, but the shooting pain in his legs and arms reminded him this was better than having to walk.

* * *

 

Once they were close to the guild, Juvia let her water lock fade away before approaching him.

"What's going on, Juvia?" He questioned after they were sitting on a bench.

"I had an interesting conversation back on the ocean." She said, getting right to the point.

"With whom?" The ice mage asked, confused.

"Your master, Ur." Gray's mouth was wide open. He opened and closed it a few times, but no words came out.

"What?" Juvia smiled upon answering.

"Her ice melted and fell into the ocean after you defeated Deliora, remember?" He could only nod.

"Ultear told me Ur was able to show her memories of the past." Gray said after a few moments of silence.

"She showed me one too." Juvia said and the ice mage was silent, trying to take it all in.

"She contacted you. Why? Didn't she want to talk to me?" The water mage knew he would reach that conclusion.

"Of course she did, but it seems as if the communication only works with someone who has water magic." She quickly explained and Gray looked unconvinced.

"What did she say?" He asked and Juvia smiled brightly.

"She told me that she misses you." Again, there was disbelief in his eyes. "I believe her. She seemed very honest when she said she's very proud of you and loves you."

"She shouldn't be." Gray said, eyes downcast.

"Stop beating yourself up, darling. You've become a wonderful man and Ur knows it." Juvia took his hand and squeezed it.

"Thank you." He said simply and she stared at him with love and adoration.

"I love you." She knew that he needed to hear those words at such a hard moment and was pleased when a small smile graced his face.

"I love you too." They didn't know who leaned in first, but suddenly they were kissing and Gray held onto her like she was a lifeline. He barely noticed that he was pushing her down onto the bench until she let out a small moan of pain. He immediately pulled apart and eyed her worriedly, but she simply smiled before bringing his face close to hers for another kiss. This one was more passionate and Gray shivered at the feel of her cool hands on his broad back.

It didn't take long for his lips to lower to her neck as he trailed a path of kisses towards her shoulder while she closed her eyes. "Maybe we should…" Juvia was just about to suggest they went somewhere more private when his right hand traced the guild mark on her leg. She took a sharp intake of breath before grabbing his head and bringing his face to hers so she could kiss his lips again.

"Will you two stop it!" Their moment was interrupted by a loud voice and they pulled apart instantly. They stared at the intruder and almost cowered in fear upon spotting a mad Evergreen with her hands on her waist and a glaring look towards them.

"Well, well, look what we have here." Bixlow said, coming from behind the fairy woman. He was smirking at the young couple.

"This is a public space, you know?" Freed added, looking just as amused.

"Shut up." Gray said as he removed himself from Juvia, blushing furiously.

"We were just going to the guild." The water mage provided lamely and the Thunder Legion members raised eyebrows in disbelief.

"Is that so?" Evergreen inquired, arms crossed over her chest.

"Guess we're lucky you decided not to do this there." Laxus said as he showed up from no where and the couple blushed even more.

"I don't care what the hell you decide to do, just tell me where that idiot is." Evergreen yelled, looking as scary as Erza.

"Do you mean Elfman?" Gray replied, glad the attention was no longer on him and Juvia.

"He's at the beach with the others. Did he do something?" Juvia asked her curiously and the brunette was fuming.

"Calm down, Ever, I'm sure he has a good explanation." Freed attempted and she only glared at him.

"There's no good explanation for forgetting our three months anniversary." She shot back and the three men shared looks before Laxus nodded.

"He didn't." Freed said and Evergreen looked confused.

"What?" She asked and Bixlow smirked while answering.

"He wanted to make you think he had so that you'd be surprised, but I guess it's best if we tell you before you rip him apart." He explained and she was taken aback.

"So he didn't forget?" Laxus answered that one.

"Nope, that poor idiot clearly loves you so he asked for our help with preparing the celebration." The fairy woman, for once, was speechless.

"He reserved a table at that fancy restaurant you love. You should start getting ready." Freed told her and she merely nodded before walking away, still stunned.

"That's so sweet." Juvia said, smiling.

"Don't expect me to pull off something like that." Gray told her. "I'd rather not risk having to deal with Erza and Gajeel's wrath if I pretended to forget our anniversary." She laughed as he shivered at the thought of the red head and dragon slayer's reactions.

"Don't worry, I prefer what you planned for today. Going to the beach with our friends was a great idea." Juvia told him with a bright smile.

"Thanks. Happy anniversary, by the way." They kissed once again, softly.

They had decided not to make this entire day about the celebration of their one month anniversary, preferring to let Levy have a chance to shine since it was also her 18th birthday. That doesn't mean they had forgotten about it and Gray had made sure to prepare a nice dinner for them, with Erza and Lucy's help.

Despite the horrible nightmare from before and the feeling something terrible would happen to them, he found himself smiling and having fun. After all, as long as he was with Juvia it was hard not to smile.

* * *

 

_In Tartarus headquarters…_

"Do you take us as idiots?" An angry Kyoka yelled while Tempesta and Jackal had their arms crossed and were glaring at the black haired man.

"He clearly does or else he would never suggest this." The bomber scoffed and Silver grew more desperate.

"I'm merely suggesting that we send someone to keep an eye on the girl. Or do you prefer to just leave her to die?" He attempted, but the demons were having none of it.

"The girl has proven that she's more than capable of protecting herself." Seilah spoke, staring with boredom between her guild mates.

"Besides, your boy's willing to throw his life away to protect her, so I see no reason to be concerned." Keyes added wisely.

"That won't be enough." Silver told them, not at all surprised when they sneered.

"It's not up to you to decide what will be enough." Kyoka scolded while glancing towards Zeref, who was silently watching them with mild interest, his attention more focused on the book through which he was spying on Juvia, as usual.

"It seems as if you're forgetting your place, Silver." Keyes threatened, holding onto his staff. The ice mage swallowed hard.

"I could gather more information on Fairy Tail, keep you informed of their weakness." His heart beat wildly as he started losing hope.

"We already have all the information we need. All we have left to do is wait for the right time." Seilah stated with a shrug.

"Why are humans always so stubborn?" Tempesta shook his head and looked at Silver with disdain.

"I guess he needs to be taught a lesson." Jackal said while smiling evilly.

"We're not fools, Silver. We know very well you plan to betray us, spill our secrets to those boring humans." Kyoka firmly said and Silver lost it.

"As if I could do that even if I wanted to!" He yelled, taking them aback. "All I want is to be with my son. I know that's something you could never understand since you're incapable of loving someone, but that's all I want."

"That's foolish of you. Love brings us nothing but pain and suffering." Zeref spoke for the first time since the meeting had began and everyone silenced.

"Please, my lord. All I'm asking here is that you let me be with him again." Silver pleaded, hoping he'd somehow be able to reach inside Zeref's still human heart. "For 10 years I've done everything you've told me to. I followed every order, I didn't protest even when you asked me to hurt others."

"You did that out of fear, not loyalty." The dark wizard stated, making the book disappear so that he could focus on the conversation.

"I am loyal, you know I would never betray you, lord Zeref." Silver hated saying those lies, but he needed to convince Zeref. He needed to go to Gray and Juvia so that he could find a way to warn them. He was willing to do anything to ensure his plan was a success. "I can be very useful, I can keep an eye on the girl, make sure she's ready. That way you won't have to take her, I can do that."

"Your offer is well thought, but also unnecessary. The plan to retrieve her has already been made." It was supposed to be the end of the conversation, but Silver wasn't done.

"I beg of you, lord Zeref. Let me have this last chance to be with him." He took a deep breath before delivering the final blow. "Even you must have loved someone once. Wouldn't you do anything if it meant you could see them again?"

* * *

 

_Over 400 years before…_

_"Mamma, I can't reach it." A young boy with pink hair and dark green eyes pouted as he attempted to reach a snow globe that was kept on the top shelf of their living room._

_"Use your magic, Natsu." Another boy with black hair and eyes suggested. The younger boy attempted to use his magic, but it was no use. He was still too young._

_"Here, baby, you can have it." A woman with long black hair walked into the room. As a bubble of water surrounded the snow globe, it was lifted up and then carried towards the small child._

_"Thanks, mamma." He said before he started playing with the object. The older boy watched with interest before going towards his mother._

_"Mamma, when is daddy coming back?" He asked the woman and she gave him a sad smile._

_"I don't know, sweetheart." She walked towards the couch and sat down, him following her. He wasted no time sitting on her lap and she wrapped her arms around him and gently kissed his forehead._

_"Can we visit Igneel tomorrow, mamma? I miss him." The 5 years old child said as he approached them while holding the snow globe._

_"Of course, baby. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you two, your father says he's been anxious to teach you dragon slayer magic, Natsu." Their mother replied and the young child's eyes were shining with excitement._

_"Really? He thinks I could learn dragon slayer magic?" The woman smiled before pulling him on her lap as well._

_"I have no doubt you'd master it even faster than your father. Don't tell him I said that, though." Natsu laughed while his 8 years old sibling watched them, a frown on his face._

_"What about me? Doesn't he want to teach me dragon slayer magic?" He asked while pouting and his mother laughed._

_"He knows that you're meant to learn water magic from me." She used her magic to make a few water bubbles appear and the two boys had their fun trying to catch them. As she watched her two children play, she couldn't be happier. If only her husband was there with them, then this moment would truly be perfect._

* * *

 

"Lord Zeref?" The dark wizard turned to face a worried Kyoka and he quickly put a smile back on his face. It wasn't time to keep dwelling on the past.

"I changed my mind. We'll be sending Silver to Fairy Tail." The demons responded with outrage and confusion while Silver was shocked.

"Why?" He questioned and Zeref simply smiled.

"As I analyzed your suggestion, I realized it could be useful. Let it be clear, though, that I'll be watching you the whole time. If you even attempt to tell her about my plans, you can count on losing your son." His eyes flashed red and Silver gulped.

"Of course, lord Zeref. I won't let you down." Zeref nodded before turning to the other demons.

"This meeting has come to an end. Start preparing for Silver's mission and remember, only six weeks remain now." With that he walked away, leaving many confused demons behind.

Silver couldn't help but to smile, he didn't know how, but he had done it. Soon he would be reunited with Gray and, though he wouldn't be able to tell his son anything, at least they would be together again.

* * *

**So, thoughts?**

**Did you enjoy the GaLe scenes and the birthday party?**

**What about the GrayLu talk? After doing so much GrayXErza, I thought it was about time to show him talking to someone else.**

**Did you like the parallels between Juliet talking to Gray in the dream and Juvia's conversation with Ur? I hope I did justice for the amazing ice mage who saved Gray's life. She's so cool and badass, another great character who didn't deserve to die.**

**Hope you also enjoyed that Gruvia make out scene, writing those isn't exactly my strong suit. The conversation with the Thunder Legion was very fun to write, I love the members, specially Freed and Evergreen.**

**Lastly, what are your thoughts on Zeref? Did the flashbacks make you see him as more than just a villain? I'm telling you, I never believed he was as bad as he was made out to be, for me he just seemed... broken. So even though he's the main antagonist of Connections, I'll try my best to show a more human side of him as well.**

**Next chapter: Juliet. It will be mostly about GaLe and GruviaXSilver reunion. You'll also get to learn a bit more about the remarkable woman that was Juvia's mother while Lucy makes a discovery that could change everything she knows about her own family.**

**Here's the sneak peek, as promised:**

It wasn't until about half an hour later that they found something interesting. It was Erza who found it as she moved a large wardrobe that Lucy would be transferring to her apartment. The redhead noticed that behind it, there was a beautiful painting of Lucy's mother. Layla Heartfilia looked quite young, clearly still a teenager when it was painted, but she looked the same as Lucy remembered. Erza called everyone's attention and they spent a few moments admiring the painting.

"I had no idea it was here, this wardrobe kinda hid it." The blonde said as she touched the painting. She didn't recall ever seeing this one before, but truthfully, it had been a while since she had been in the attic.

"Why would your father hide it?" Natsu asked Lucy shrugged. She couldn't think of any reasons to hide such a beautiful painting, so she assumed he must have forgotten about it long ago.

"I can't think of any reasons for him to do that. Though after mom died, he did hide most of her portraits in here."

"But the others were hidden in plain sight, which isn't this one's case." Happy pointed out and they were intrigued. What was truly the meaning of that mysterious painting?

"She didn't just know her, the similarities here are obvious. The same brown eyes, same nose and hairstyle." Lucy paused, staring at the picture in her hands in disbelief.  
"They were sisters."

**(500 hits for Chapter 16)**


	16. Juliet

**Hello, my darling readers! As promised, here is Chapter 16 of Connections.**

**I must admit, this was a hard one to write. I wanted to do justice for the title and include many scenes with Juliet or about her, but there are other characters who needed to be mentioned as well. So that's why this is so freaking long.**

**Happy reading, everyone!**

* * *

 

How Does A Moment Last Forever-Celine Dion

Maybe some moments weren't so perfect  
Maybe some memories not so sweet  
But we have to know some bad times  
Or our lives are incomplete  
Then when the shadows overtake us  
Just when we feel all hope is gone  
We'll hear our song and know once more  
Our love lives on

* * *

 

_Many years ago..._

_"Perhaps we should send them a message, they could help." Daniel Lockser told his wife as he was holding tightly onto her hand. They were in a medical clinic located in the center of Crocus as the best healer in the city attempted to save the most precious thing in the world to them._

_"No, contacting them is a terrible idea. They won't help." Juliet Lockser replied to her husband as she put her arms over her enlarged stomach._

_"You shouldn't be doing this, Juliet. What if something happens to you? Or the baby?" He inquired, clearly worried, before placing a hand on top of hers._

_"We'll be fine, my love." She reassured him while gently touching his cheek._

_"I know. I just... I can't lose you too." He told her and she frowned._

_"Don't say that. We're not going to lose her." She told him firmly and the couple turned their attention back to the pale little girl with blue hair that lay in the hospital bed._

_"She's so pale and frail." He whispered, as if scared to wake her up._

_"She'll be okay. Juvia's strong, just like us." Juliet said before she approached the bed and lay by her daughter's side, careful not to crush her. "My sweet baby girl. I promise you that I will do everything I can to save you, alright?" The child barely moved, her face becoming even paler. Just then a nurse came into the room and gave the blue haired woman a tight smile._

_"It's time." Juliet nodded before kissing the little girl's forehead._

_"Never forget that I love you very much. I'll see you soon." After casting her husband one last reassuring look, she left the room, followed closely by the nurse. Barely did any of them know, Juliet wouldn't return and things would never be the same._

* * *

 

Five days after Levy's 18th birthday, it was an unusually quiet morning in the Fairy Tail guild. Most of its members were away on missions since the request board had been full after their victory in the Grand Magic Games. The wizards barely had any time to rest with all the missions they had to take, but it was good to be back on top.

"It's so quiet today." Lucy said as she looked around the mostly empty guild hall. She was sitting on a bench with Natsu while Erza, Cana and Mira sat in front of them.

"Too quiet." Erza said, looking uncomfortable.

"It's almost like the calm before the storm." Mira added and Cana simply shrugged before taking a sip of her barrel.

"Juvia, you need to calm down." The trio plus Lucy looked towards where Gray and Juvia were standing by the counter. The water mage looked stressed and worried as she kept mumbling things they couldn't hear. It had been like this for 15 minutes since the couple had arrived at the guild and everyone was curious to what had the water mage so concerned.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Juvia yelled uncharacteristically and that was when Erza decided to interfere. She stood up from the table with the other four following her. Wendy and Carla, who had been talking in the corner, also approached the couple.

"What's going on here?" The red head inquired, arms crossed in a threatening stance. Gray stopped talking immediately.

"Is everything okay?" Lucy concernedly asked once the bluenette turned around to face them.

"No, it's not okay." She muttered while crossing her arms over her chest.

"I think you're overreacting, they're fine." Gray told her as he placed a hand on her shoulder, but she pushed him away.

"Who's fine?" Lucy asked and, seeing as his girlfriend was too upset, the ice mage replied.

"Gajeel and Levy. They went on a mission a couple days ago and Juvia thinks they're taking too long." He explained and Mira gave them a reassuring smile.

"You shouldn't worry about them, I'm sure they're fine." She told Juvia, who looked unconvinced.

"They're not fine. Gajeel never takes this long to complete a job, much less such an easy one." She bit her lip, clearly worried for her friend. Before anyone else could say something to comfort her, the guild doors were forced open and in came Gajeel, carrying a clearly unconscious Levy while Panther Lily sat on his shoulder.

"Gajeel, there you are!" Juvia ran towards the dragon slayer. He barely looked at her as his eyes were too focused on the unconscious girl in his arms.

"Help. She needs….help." His voice was shaky and as Juvia approached him, she could see his arms were also shaking. Something was wrong.

"Here, you can lay her down." Wendy instructed the dragon slayer as Carla lay a cushion for Levy to lay her head on. As Gajeel lowered her down, the water mage took notice of the blood on the back of his head and the large gash on his leg.

"You're injured." She said and Gajeel finally looked back at her. She could see guilt in his expression and knew he was blaming himself for whatever happened. "Come here." After he had placed Levy on the ground, Juvia grabbed his arm and pretty much carried him to a chair, where he reluctantly sat. His worried eyes didn't leave the petit bluenette as Wendy started working on her.

"This is bad." The young dragon slayer whispered, but due to the emptiness of the guild hall everyone was able to hear her.

"What's wrong with her?" Lucy asked and Wendy shook her head.

"I don't know." The young healer's hands were shaking as she attempted to survey Levy's injuries.

"Perhaps we should leave this to Porlyusica." Carla gently suggested, seeing as Wendy wasn't in the best condition to be healing the sold script mage.

"Okay." The young girl replied, voice shaky as she stared in horror at Levy's extremely pale face. Mirajane knelt down and held her close in an attempt to comfort her as she was clearly traumatized by seeing her friend in such a state.

Though Wendy had seen worse than that during her time in Fairy Tail, everyone knew that she had been having a hard time since the Grand Magic Games. Carla mentioned many times how nightmares had plagued the young dragon slayer's mind.

"Ouch, Juvia!" A scream landed their attention on the two BFF's who were a few steps away. The water mage had been checking out his injuries while Gajeel complained.

"Sorry, sorry. God, there's so much blood." Her face had paled considerably and her eyes were wide in panic as she touched the back of his head. Gray glanced worriedly at her as he stood behind them.

"I'm fine." Gajeel protested stubbornly, wincing when Juvia touched the spot where he had been hit.

"He needs medical attention too." The water mage turned to her friends and one look at her face they knew this was bad.

"After Levy." The iron dragon slayer spoke before anyone could reply. "You heal her first." His voice was firm and eyes determined. Juvia knew he wasn't just playing the hero, he truly meant it.

"We'll take care of both of you." Erza told him before she picked Levy up and started carrying her to the infirmary.

Once they were gone, Lucy turned to the iron dragon slayer. "What happened?"

"We were ambushed." Panther Lily answered, he was the only one who seemed to be unscathed.

"By who?" Gray asked, curious. He had been told by Juvia that the mission had been a simple one, arresting a few thieves who had been causing a ruckus in a town near Magnolia. Therefore he found this outcome hard to believe.

"The thieves. As it turned out, they weren't just regular ones." Lily replied and before anyone could inquire what he meant, Gajeel spoke once again.

"Bastards had magic." He groaned in pain as Juvia pressed a cloth to the bloody wound on his head. "Powerful magic. I barely heard them coming and when I did, it was too late."

"What do you mean?" Lucy questioned, confused.

"Will you stop doing that, Rain Woman? You're not helping." Gajeel turned to Juvia and she gave him a hard look before pressing the cloth to the back of his head once again.

"Stop acting like a baby. I need to stop the blood flow or else you'll die." Gray smirked once the dragon slayer huffed in annoyance, but didn't retort back. The ice mage knew Juvia somehow was able to keep him in check and she was the only one. No one else would dare talk tough to Gajeel Redfox.

"How did you get that? It looks pretty severe." Carla asked, pointing towards the injury on his head, and he looked away, clearly ashamed.

"They threw a hammer at his head just after he realized they were there. Levy and I tried to keep them at bay while he was unconscious, but they were far too strong for her." Lily answered while Gajeel glared at him, clearly unhappy with the mention that he had passed out.

"You did great, Lily, we might not have been alive if you hadn't fought them." He chose to praise the exceed instead. After all, if it wasn't for Lily, he might have been a goner. The black creature gave him a thumbs up.

"No problem. That's what friends are for." They did a fist bump and Juvia and Mira smiled at the cute pair.

"What about Levy? What happened to her?" Lucy asked, too worried for her friend.

"She was hit several times with their magic. I tried to protect her while Gajeel was out, but there were too many of them." Lily glanced somberly at the door to the infirmary, which was opened just then by Erza.

"God, this is horrible." Lucy desperately said while Natsu wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"What did Porlyusica say, Erza?" Mira asked and the look on the red head's face did not easy their worries.

"She will live." Erza replied simply.

"But?" Cana asked and the reequip mage took a deep breath.

"The damage is too severe. She doesn't know when Levy will wake up or what will be the consequences." Silence followed her statement.

"This is my fault." Gajeel lowered his head and covered his face with his hands. "I should have protected her."

"You did your best." Juvia gently told him before removing his hands.

"I should have done more." He said and Cana stared at him, arms crossed.

"Yeah, you should. You're a dragon slayer, for Mavis' sake. Taking out a few magical thieves should have been a piece of cake." She scolded and the water mage glared at her.

"I know this isn't your fault, but if something happens to Levy, I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive you." Lucy added before she left the guild hall and went towards the infirmary, eager to see her best friend. Natsu followed her without giving Gajeel as much as a glance.

"Don't listen to them, okay? You brought her back safe, so everything's gonna be okay." Juvia told her best friend while gently rubbing his shoulder. Though he was drowning in guilt and didn't agree with her at all, he allowed himself to receive the comfort he desperately needed.

"Thanks, Juvi." He cast her a small smile that she returned before Wendy came over and shyly asked to check out his injuries. As the young dragon slayer healed him, Juvia watched with concern for her best friend, she had never seen him so beat up before.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine." Gray whispered in her ear after he approached her and hugged her from behind. She held onto his hands that were placed in her middle.

"I've never seem him like this." Juvia admitted quietly as Wendy healed Gajeel's head injury. "Usually when something bad happens during missions he worries, but he's never blamed himself so much before."

"Maybe he's changed." Gray suggested and Juvia nodded before turning around to face him.

"Yes, he has." She glanced back at her best friend. "But there's something more. The way he reacted before… I think his feelings for Levy might have grown."

"I don't know about that, you know I'm no expert when it comes to feelings." A small smile came to her face before she lifted her head up and softly kissed him.

They pulled apart a moment later when the door to the guild once again was opened, this time by the mail man. Mira was the one to approach him and retrieve their mail as everyone remained silent.

"Is there something for the master?" Erza asked her and the white haired woman searched through the letters.

"No, but this is interesting." She picked one that had been sent for Lucy Heartfilia from an unknown man. "Does anyone know a Charles Brandon?"

"He's a really rich guy, but that's all I know." Cana replied before turning her attention back to the barrel in her hands.

"He sent a letter to Lucy." Mira said and they were intrigued.

"Strange. I don't think Lucy's ever mentioned this man before." Erza was puzzled. As if on cue, Lucy and Natsu walked back into the room. The blonde looked angry while her boyfriend attempted to comfort her.

"What's wrong?" Lily asked them.

"She kicked us out, said she can't work if we're there." The dragon slayer explained while Lucy crossed her arms and huffed in clear annoyance.

"She's my best friend, I have every right to be there!" Everyone cast her sympathetic looks.

"Look, Lucy, you received a letter." Mira told her before approaching her and delivering the letter. Lucy looked at it with curiosity and confusion.

"Who's that guy?" Natsu asked with a hint of jealousy while he looked at the sender's name.

"He's the guy that bought my house a few months ago." She replied before opening it. "It says here that he finished the renovations and is ready to move in. But before that, he'd like for me to take a look at the attic so I can check if there are any objects that I wish to keep."

"So I guess we're going there." Natsu said and she nodded.

"I'll go too, if you allow me. I'd love to review the Heartfilia Mansion." Erza said and the blonde nodded. Soon Wendy and Carla had also volunteered to go and the group of 6 was ready to go.

"We'll see you guys later." Lucy said before they left. As Gray helped Juvia transport Gajeel to the infirmary, he looked back and hoped he could have gone with them. He could tell this was going to be a hard day and felt like he was intruding by staying with Gajeel and Juvia. However, he knew that his girlfriend needed him at such a difficult time, so he agreed to stay with her.

* * *

 

_In Heartfilia Mansion…_

"I had forgotten this place was so big." Natsu said as him, Lucy, Wendy, Erza, Carla and Happy stood outside the gates of Lucy's old home.

"Yeah, I haven't come here in a while." The blonde whispered before taking in a deep breath. As she started walking towards the mansion, the others followed her silently. They knew it must be hard for Lucy to return to her old home after so long.

A maid was standing at the front door and she greeted them formally before telling them that they should go to straight to the attic, where Mr. Brandon had mentioned the objects belonging to the Heartfilia family were. Lucy nodded to the maid before doing as told.

"Everything's so different." She told her friends as they passed through the living room and then a large room with a fireplace.

"Ms. Brandon sure has an expensive taste." Erza noted as she admired a few vases placed on a wooden shelf.

"Is this the attic, Lucy?" Wendy asked as they arrived at a stair at the end of the house.

"Yes." After her confirmation, they started climbing the stairs and Natsu not so gently opened the door to the attic.

"This place's cramped." He muttered while staring at the room filled with old family portraits and other objects.

"What did you expect from an attic?" Erza asked while raising a brow.

"This will take a while." Lucy said while she picked up a golden necklace from the floor. She recalled it used to belong to her grandmother.

"What exactly are we supposed to look for here?" Happy asked while flying around.

"First we're going to separate the objects of more value, these are the ones I'm going to try to sell. There are a few that were very special to the family, so I'll be keeping those. Just divide everything and I'll take a look later." Lucy explained and they nodded in compliance before each person/exceed took a corner of the room and began dividing the objects.

"Look what I've found." Natsu said after a couple minutes and Lucy smiled once she saw he was holding her mother's favorite vase. The celestial wizard had painted it herself as a young child and Layla had kept it as a memento.

"It's beautiful." Wendy offered and Lucy nodded.

"I remember when I painted it, dad was so mad because I got paint all over the floor. But my mom loved it, it was a gift for her birthday so she always kept it." Everyone smiled at the happy memory.

"Sounds like you two were very close." Carla commented and Lucy nodded.

"Yes, we were." She replied before walking towards Natsu and picking up the vase. "I'm going to keep this one." She placed the vase on a desk were the most treasured of the objects were before going back to work. It wasn't until about half an hour later, when they had managed to divide most of the objects, that they found something interesting.

It was Erza who found it as she moved a large wardrobe that Lucy would be transferring to her apartment. The redhead noticed that behind it, there was a beautiful painting of Lucy's mother. Layla Heartfilia looked quite young, clearly still a teenager when it was painted, but she looked the same as Lucy remembered. Erza called everyone's attention and they spent a few moments admiring the painting.

"I had no idea it was here, this wardrobe kinda hid it." The blonde said as she touched the painting. She didn't recall ever seeing this one before, but truthfully, it had been a while since she had been in the attic.

"Why would your father hide it?" Natsu asked Lucy shrugged. She couldn't think of any reasons to hide such a beautiful painting, so she assumed he must have forgotten about it long ago.

"I can't think of any reasons for him to do that. Though after mom died, he did hide most of her portraits in here."

"But the others were hidden in plain sight, which isn't this one's case." Wendy pointed out and Natsu approached the painting.

"Let's remove it, maybe there's something hidden behind it." He suggested and Lucy nodded. As the dragon slayer attempted to remove it, he was surprised to see his efforts fail. "The hell? Is this thing attached to the wall or something?" He stepped away and glared at the painting while Wendy and Carla attempted to hide their laughs.

"It seems as if it requires strength superior to yours." Erza told him with a smirk before she approached the painting. When not even the great Titania could do it, Lucy was certain this wasn't just an ordinary one.

"So strange." Carla said while crossing her paws.

"Maybe there's a spell keeping it in place." Wendy suggested and Lucy grew somber.

"If only Levy was here, she'd help us figure it out in no time." Natsu placed a comforting hand on her shoulder upon seeing her distress at the mention of her injured friend.

"Don't worry, I'm sure she's gonna be okay." He told her and she cast him a small smile.

"I'll contact Freed and if we're lucky, he won't be in a mission so he can help us. In the meantime, we should go back to work." Erza said and no one dared go against her, so soon they were back to work.

About two hours later, when they had long since finished dividing the objects, Freed finally appeared. He had been on a mission with the Thunder Legion, but they had finished it early as usual. Evergreen and Bixlow, curious about the painting, had accompanied him to the Heartfilia Mansion.

"Where is it?" It was Freed's first question once they arrived and Lucy, who was snuggled up to Natsu, pointed towards the only painting left on the wall. The green haired man examined it for a few minutes before looking at his expectant friends with a smirk.

"This spell isn't very powerful, so I should be able to remove it easily." He told them and Lucy cheered.

"Thanks so much, Freed." He dismissed her thanks with a "no problem" before he began writing a counter spell. In no time the painting fell from the wall and into his awaiting hands. Everyone crowded around it as they stared at the mysterious object.

"There's something hidden inside." Lucy said while holding onto the painting.

"Do I have your permission to tear it up?" Erza asked holding out her sword. The celestial wizard gave her an uncertain look, but nodded. After Erza cut it open, many pictures fell from the painting, including a large portrait. As Lucy held it up for everyone to see, their eyes widened.

"Wait! Is that Juvia?" Natsu asked, confused.

"Can't be. Why on earth would there be a portrait of her in here?" Freed asked.

"It isn't her, the eye color isn't right." Wendy smartly pointed out and everyone looked at the woman's big brown eyes. Eyes that, as they came to realization, were exactly the same as Lucy's.

"Okay, now I'm officially creeped out." The blonde said as she noticed this.

"Who is she?" Erza inquired and Evergreen answered that one as she held onto a small picture.

"Her name's Juliet Heartfilia." As everyone stared at her in confusion, she showed them a picture of Lucy's mother, looking younger than in the other portrait, with the same blue haired woman by her side. Both were richly dressed in blue, arms wrapped around each other while they smiled at the painter. In the back it was written in clear silver letters: Juliet and Layla Heartfilia, August 22nd of X761.

"My mom was only thirteen back then." Lucy said as she asked for Evergreen to hand her the picture.

"Guys, Juliet is Juvia's mother's name." Erza suddenly recalled.

"Wait a second, do you think that…." Freed began and Natsu finished.

"That's her?" He pointed towards the portrait and everyone had their mouths hanging open.

"So that means that she knew your mother, Lucy." Happy said and the blonde swallowed hard before she spoke.

"She didn't just know her, the similarities here are obvious. The same brown eyes, same nose and hairstyle. Not to mention, the last name." She paused, staring at the picture in her hands in disbelief.

"They were sisters."

* * *

 

_Back in Magnolia…_

"For god's sake woman, leave me alone!" Gajeel screamed at the blue haired woman who was changing the cloth on his forehead.

"Stop moving!" Juvia retorted as she pushed him down on he bed and he kept struggling.

"Stop babying me! I don't need your help." He regretted the words as soon as her expression changed from determined to hurt.

"Good job, mr. Grumpy." Gray said from behind Juvia while glaring at the dragon slayer.

"I'm sorry, sorry. I know you don't like it when I worry too much." The water mage dropped the cloth on the bedside table before sitting down on a chair.

"No, I am sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you." Gajeel apologized, his face softening.

"Hell yeah you shouldn't." Gray told him firmly, arms crossed.

"What are you still doing here, stripper?" The dragon slayer yelled back while sitting up.

"Don't sit. Remember what Porlyusica said." Juvia warned him before she stood up and began pushing him down on the bed. For once, he didn't complain and just let her.

"Argh, this sucks. I hate being so useless." Gajeel said while she placed the cold cloth back on his forehead. It was supposed to help diminish his fever, but so far it hadn't done much.

"You're not useless." Juvia firmly told him while giving him a reassuring smile.

"Of course I am. I failed to protect Levy and now I can't even stand up because of these stupid injuries." Their gaze turned to the other occupied bed on the room, where the petit bluenette rested. Except for the sound of her slow intake of breaths, there were no signs that she was still alive. Her face was paler than they had ever seen and she hadn't moved at all since being brought to the infirmary.

"She'll be alright." Juvia knew it wasn't much help, but she said it anyway.

"She'd better be. If she doesn't wake up…" Gajeel paused and suddenly his eyes darkened as a sorrowful expression appeared on his face. "I'll never forgive myself."

"Look, man, I know all too well what it's like to blame yourself for everything that goes wrong." Gray told him while approaching the bed. "So believe me when I say, this isn't your fault."

"I don't believe you, but thanks anyway." The dragon slayer replied before letting out a groan. "Damn it, my head's killing me."

"It will only get worse if you keep on talking." Porlyusica said while entering the room.

"What should we do?" Juvia asked, eager to help her friend feel better.

"You two should leave. He needs his rest now." The water mage stared between the healer and her best friend with uncertainty, unwilling to leave him.

"Go, I can't take another second of you annoying me." Gajeel told her firmly and she couldn't help but to smile, knowing the harsh words were his way of showing he cared.

"Alright. You get some rest, okay?" She whispered before standing up.

"With you two gone, I'm sure I'll be able to take a good nap." He replied and Gray rolled his eyes before he extended his hand towards his girlfriend. She gladly took it and the couple left the room.

* * *

 

"So, where shall we go?" Juvia asked after they had exited the guild hall.

"Don't know." Gray shrugged as they looked around for a place to go. "If it's alright with you, I'd like to do some researching."

"About what?" The water mage curiously questioned.

"Remember that portrait you had Reedus make of the woman who rescued you?" She nodded, intrigued. "I sent it to Lyon and he thinks he might have seen her somewhere."

"That's good, this means we're one step closer to finding your father." Juvia said while smiling brightly and he returned it.

"Yes, I just hope it isn't a dead end like all the other times." Uncertainty filled his eyes.

"Don't worry, my love, I have faith we'll find him…soon." Suddenly, her body grew tense and she froze, blue eyes widening as she stared at something behind him. Gray stared at her in confusion for a moment before turning around.

His breath was caught in his throat, he couldn't move, couldn't think. For so long he had been searching for his father and just when he was about to give up, there he was. Silver Fullbuster looked the same as he remembered, perhaps a couple years older but still the same face. Spiky dark hair, black eyes just like Gray's and a scar on his right one that the ice mage didn't recognize. But it was him, it was his father. Standing only a few feet from them, looking at them almost apologetically.

"Silver?" Juvia muttered beneath her breath, still in shock. Gray barely registered he was moving, but suddenly he was right in front of his father.

"Dad?" He whispered and the older man smiled at him.

"Hey, kid." He whispered back and Gray stood there, looking at him in disbelief, unsure what to do or say.

"You're here." The ice mage dumbly pointed out and before Silver could reply, Juvia spoke, having approached them.

"How?" She asked, eyes wide with disbelief.

"To be honest, I'm not sure myself." The older man's vague reply left them confused.

"What do you mean?" Juvia asked him while Gray could feel anger growing inside him.

"You disappeared for 10 freaking years and now you suddenly come back and pretend you have no idea how?" He yelled and the water mage gave him a warning look.

"I'm telling the truth, son. I don't know how I got here." Silver replied calmly.

"Explain yourself." Juvia said firmly and the older man smiled as he answered.

"They've erased my memories, I think." As the couple stared at him wide-eyed, he continued. "I know you're aware of them, since Juvia's probably told you about it."

"So you remember me?" Juvia asked him, hopeful, and he nodded.

"I don't think I could ever forget such a beautiful and brave girl like you." She slightly blushed at his words and Gray stared at his father with suspicion.

"So you remember her, but can't tell us how you got here?" He questioned and Silver sighed.

"I don't remember much, honestly. My memories of the past ten years have been altered so I only remember bits and pieces. But I do remember you, son, and I'm so glad I could find you again." His voice was laced with pain and Juvia felt bad for him. Also, from what she remembered from her captives, it did make sense that they would cast a spell to erase Silver's memories in case he ever escaped, which seemed to be the case. They had done the same for her, after all, so she believed him.

"I don't think he's lying. His explanation is very reasonable and I remember they did the same for me when I escaped." She told her boyfriend, who still seemed unsure.

"I have no reason to lie to either of you." The older man confirmed and Gray, though still suspicious, decided to believe him. He was his father, after all, and for 10 years they had been apart. He saw no reason for Silver to lie to his face just as they were reunited, so the ice mage decided for once not to let his guard up and allow the happiness and relief he felt at the moment to take over him.

"Dad. I can't believe you're really here." Gray's voice was shaky with concealed tears and Silver's face softened before he approached the ice mage.

"I know, I didn't think I would ever see you again either. But I am here now and I'm so sorry, Gray." His arms wrapped around his son in an unsure hug and he let out a sigh of relief when Gray returned it a few moments later.

"You don't need to apologize. I know it wasn't your fault." The ice mage whispered brokenly and Silver hugged him tighter. For 10 years they had suffered thinking the other was dead, that they had lost everything on that fateful day, but it wasn't true. As both recalled the moment their lives had fallen apart, Gray hugged his father even tighter, afraid that if he let go it would all turn out to be just another hopeful dream of having his loved ones return to him.

* * *

 

" _I can't believe this." Mika said while covering her mouth._

_"We can't stay here, Mika. It's not safe." Silver told her before glancing towards their son, who was sleeping on the couch._

_The night had started out as a quiet one, the couple had cooked dinner together while Gray took a nap and before that the three of them had visited the frozen vulcano about two hours from Antartica. But suddenly, everything changed. Screams filled the air and Silver and Mika watched in horror as many houses were destroyed by a horrible monster in the distance._

_"I'll wake him up." Mika said before she approached the sleeping child. Silver climbed the stairs to the second floor and, upon entering their room, retrieved a spear and a sword. He didn't use them often, but now it was exactly what he needed._

_"Come on, honey, wake up." Once he returned to the living room, he was disappointed to find Gray still sleeping._

_"I don't wanna." The young boy said before turning around so his face was buried on on the cushion._

_"Gray, this isn't the time to be stubborn. This is serious." Silver told him firmly and the child, sensing the urgency on his tone, slowly sat up and rubbed his sore eyes._

_"What's happening, mom?" He looked between his parents curiously._

_"You don't need to worry about it, okay, baby?" Mika gently told him before she pulled him into her arms and kissed his forehead._

_"Just follow my lead, son. Don't look at anything else, alright?" Silver approached the duo and once Gray took notice of the weapons, he knew something terrible was happening._

_"Okay." He nodded before standing up, with Mika's help._

_Unfortunately, in the few moments they had been talking, Deliora had approached their home and they only realized it when it was too late. Within seconds, their house had been torn apart and Gray found himself being crushed by a large wardrobe as his parents lay a few meters from him, dead. At least, that's what he had thought._

* * *

 

Juvia watched their reunion with a teary smile, her heart filled with happiness and relief.

"You two are adorable." She said after a few minutes, unable to contain herself any longer.

"Juvia." Silver slowly removed his arms from around Gray and turned to her.

"I'm glad to see you're alright." The water mage told him, smiling.

"I feel the same. You seem happy." He looked between the couple with a knowing smile and both blushed.

"I am happy." Juvia told him before she approached him. It wasn't long before they also hugged and she didn't try to stop the tears. Silver gently traced circles on her back while she cried, just as he used to do back when she was a child. The memories only made her tear up even more. He was back, he was safe and that was all that mattered in that moment.

* * *

 

" _This is it. Once you cross that gate, it will be over." Silver told the young girl as they stared at the gate just outside the fortress._

_"Promise me that you'll meet me on the other side." She whispered, staring at him with hopeful eyes. He hated lying to her, but keeping her safe was the priority._

_"Of course. Just go now, okay?" He said and she nodded before giving him a tight hug. After pulling apart, the girl took a deep breath before she slowly opened the door. They could hear the sounds of screams most likely coming from the members of Tartarus. Silver knew they had been discovered and he could only hope that Juvia would be fast enough to escape._

_The little girl used her water magic to transform herself into a puddle and she began moving towards the gate. That way if someone were to spot her, they wouldn't think much of it. "Come on." The older man muttered to himself as he watched her, he could hear the screams approaching where he was._

_"There you are, Silver." Kyoka appeared merely a second after Juvia had crossed the gate. She was free, he thought and a smile graced his features. He had done it, he had saved her._

_"Did you get him?" Keyes asked, coming up from behind the other demon.  
"Yes. He'll be returned to his cell now." Kyoka put back the handcuffs that prevented Silver from using magic before she began pushing him back towards his cell._

_"Wait! What about the girl?" It was Seilah who asked and the sand haired demon stopped immediately._

_"Where is she?!" She yelled at the man, eyes narrowing dangerously._

_"You'll never find her." Silver told them with a smirk and anger crossed their features._

_On the other side of the gate, a few miles away, the young girl searched for him before coming to the realization that he had never intended to follow her. Guilt filled her features as she started imagining all the horrible things that would certainly happen to him for helping her escape. The desire to go back and save him was hard to ignore, but Juvia knew that if she did that, his sacrifice would have been in vain. The best she could do was to run away and hope that she could return soon to save him._

* * *

 

"Thanks for saving me." Juvia whispered and she could sense Silver's smile.

"No problem." They pulled apart from the hug and looked back her boyfriend. He had a small smile on his face as he watched them.

"You know, it's weird to see you two like this. I mean, Juvia told me how you knew each other, but it's just weird." Gray said and they laughed.

"I guess it is kind of weird." The bluenette said while shrugging and Silver's smile was as bright as the sun.

"It's really not. I'm old friends with her mother, so if she hadn't moved away I'm certain I'd be Juvia's godfather just like Juliet was your godmother." He told them and Juvia's eyes widened.

"She was?" She asked and the older man confirmed with a nod.

"What was she like?" Gray inquired, curious since his knowledge about Juliet Locker was limited. Juvia didn't talk much about her, mostly because she had so little memories of her mother and it was a painful subject due to the guild the water mage felt over Juliet's death.

"Juliet… I don't think it's possible to describe her in simple words." Silver laughed as fond memories of his friend came back full force. "She was possibly the most determined woman I've ever met. The way she never gave up on anything, it was remarkable." Juvia smiled at his words and Gray approached her and placed an arm around her.

"My father used to say she was also quite stubborn." The older man only laughed harder and the couple also shared smiles. They would have never expected that such a difficult morning would lead to such a wonderful afternoon with the returned Silver, but sometimes life throws god things your way when you least expect them.

* * *

 

Master Mavis followed a trail into the woods surrounding Magnolia. It seemed to be never ending, but before she knew it, she saw him. He had his back to her, but she was sure a satisfied smile would be on his face.

"I sensed your presence at the Grand Magic Games, Zeref. Did you watch?" She knew that he could hear her despite the fact that she was a ghost.

"I knew you would come to meet me eventually, my dear Mavis." Zeref replied and she could sense genuine happiness in his voice. It was unsettling how such a dark person could phantom such an emotion. "I can sense that you're looking down on me with those big disdainful eyes." He added without turning around.

"It's been seven years now, since the two of us have been this close to each other." Mavis said and he laughed before repeating her words.

"Why do you remain here? Searching for a place to die?" She asked, well aware of Zeref's ultimate plan to find peace in death.

"The place of my death has been decided." He stated before finally turning around, looking at her with surprisingly sad dark eyes. "I've been around for a few centuries now, Mavis, been witness to the rise and fall of many kingdoms."

"So have I. It's been 100 years since my death, I've had the opportunity to see many kingdoms rise and fall." She reminded him and he laughed bitterly.

"That is precisely why I fail to understand your reluctance to agree with me." For a moment, his eyes flashed red before returning to normal. "Human conflict, hatred, wickedness. With the dawn of each new era I've always hoped those would pass, until I realized that no matter what changes, the depravity of men is a constant."

"Why do you insist on being such a pessimist? We both know that there are always those who fight for something better." She attempted, but Zeref was a determined man and he had spent too long making up his mind.

"Those idealists are the worst, lying to themselves and to each other with every breath they take." He said simply, stubbornly. 

"And you won't wait any longer." Mavis said shakily, this was worse than she could have expected. There was no way she would be able to convince him to let go of his anger.

"Yes, that's correct. I've long since decided that humanity should be erradicated, it was only a matter of waiting for my most precious weapon to be ready. It won't be long now." Zeref said with a sad smile, she could see his decision pained him even if he tried to hide it.

"What weapon do you mean?" Mavis curiously asked and he shook his head.

"We both know that I can't reveal that detail to you." He told her before his smile softened. "But you shall not worry, Mavis. I will make sure their deaths are as painless as possible." While she glanced at him, unconvinced, she decided one last try.

"Fairy Tail accepts this world for all its flaws." Mavis knew that even he had a soft spot for Fairy Tail. Mentioning them was her last resort.

"They shall be my gift to no one, Mavis." Zeref made clear as he stood up and faced her, determined.

"So I guess there's no way to stop this war you're planning." She said after sighing.

"It won't be a war, at least not like the others. One-sided annihilation is a more correct definition." His words made the uneasiness she felt since the beginning of the conversation grow, Mavis knew he had the means to end this world if he so desired. There was no stopping him.

"Very well. I suppose we'll see each other on the battlefield then." With one last sorrowful look at him, she walked away. Zeref watched her go with a mixture of sadness and regret, but he couldn't focus on that. Once making sure Mavis was gone, he made the same book he always carried with him appear.

"It's almost time to retrieve Juvia Lockser." He whispered as he stared at Juvia and Gray's reencounter with Silver. "I can only hope she will be able to handle it, even if she wasn't my first choice." Zeref closed the book and stared at the cover while tracing his fingers on the single word written in clear blue.

"I'm sure you would have done wonderfully, but your death changed many things." Memories overcame him and he was silent for a few moments.

"I find it ironic how you died to save your daughter, only for her horrible fate to be designed because you were gone." He mused, the same sad smile present on his face. "After all, you were the one I wanted, Juliet." At the last word he removed his hands from the book and admired the cover. There was a drawing of a few light blue raindrops and a cloud on the top of the cover. In clear, dark blue and silver letters, her name was written. The one the book was originally meant for. Juliet.

* * *

 

**So, thoughts?**

**Did you like the GaLe scenes? What do you think's gonna happen between these two?**

**I tried to put as much Gajuvia friendship as possible in this chapter, did you like their scenes?**

**On another topic, did you enjoy the Silver and Gruvia reunion, with the flashbacks and all? Why do you think he lied to them? Was it Tartarus' plan or did he do it in order to protect them?**

**What do you think of the huge plot twist here? Why did the connection between Layla and Juliet was kept a secret for so long? And what happened for Juliet to be pretty much erased from the Heartfilia family, with her pictures being hidden and then secured by protective spells?**

**Lastly, let's talk about that last scene. I'm sure most of you remember it from episode 201, but I changed the dialogue a bit. Were you surprised the book Zeref always carries isn't the one for E.N.D? What do you think it means?**

**Coming next: A Glimpse Into The Future. You can expect: more Gale and SilverXGruvia bonding, Meredy's return and more info on the story of Juliet Lockser/Heartfilia.**

**Let's try 550 hits for chapter 17.**


	17. A Glimpse Into The Future

**Hello, my darling readers. I am sorry for how long it took me to post this chapter. I was in Paris for the past 10 days so I didn’t have time to write at all. At least the next one will be posted real soon.**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

 

Fix You-Coldplay

When you try your best but you don't succeed  
When you get what you want but not what you need  
When you feel so tired but you can't sleep  
Stuck in reverse

When the tears come streaming down your face  
When you lose something you can't replace  
When you love someone but it goes to waste  
Could it be worse?

* * *

 

_Dear Erza,_

_I'm glad to hear life has been more tranquil as of late, unfortunately the same can't be applied to my journey with Meredy. A recent discovery has changed things and I fear what might happen to her if word is to get out to our enemies. You know she's the closest thing to a family that I have, so I've always been concerned about her safety._

_We've made no progress in regards of Tartarus and with each passing day uncovering their plans and locating them seems impossible. I'm afraid there isn't much we can do in this case and it angers me how the current council isn't taking any measures to stop them._

_Words cannot express how much I miss you, your presence has always helped me to stay calm and think clearer. I'm happy to say our next encounter might come soon, as I might be returning to Magnolia in a few days._

_There's more I'd like to tell you, but I'll wait until we meet in person. All I can say is that an encounter with an old friend of yours has helped me begin making amends._

_I hope you and your friends are still well._

_Forever yours,_

_Jellal._

* * *

 

The red head read the letter with a smile on her face. The news that Jellal might be returning to Magnolia soon was like music to her ears, it had been far too long since she had last seen him.

"Hey, Erza. What're you reading?" Lucy curiously asked as she approached the bar, where Erza was sitting.

"Hello, Lucy. Oh, it's nothing." She hated herself for blushing, even more so when the blonde smirked.

"Let me see! Is it a letter from Jellal?" Natsu asked and before anyone could stop him, he had ripped the paper from Erza's hands and began reading it.

"Natsu." Lucy warned before looking at the reequip mage. Her eyes were narrowed and she was glaring at the dragon slayer.

"You'd better give it back." Carla warned as she and Wendy approached them.

"She looks really mad." The young girl whispered while glancing warily towards Erza.

"What?" Natsu finally turned his attention to them and gulped upon looking at the red head.

"Well done, Natsu. You've managed to make her angry even before lunch." Cana said, already in her second barrel of the day.

"Give it back. Right now." Erza commanded slowly and the dragon slayer wasted no time in complying. Once the letter was safely back in her hands, she let out a deep breath before coming up with a smile. "It's such a lovely morning, don't you think?" She turned to Lucy, who nodded wordlessly.

Not far from where they were, came the sound of laughter and many people turned their attention towards the trio who was talking. Juvia and Silver seemed like they were having a great time while Gray was slightly blushing, looking embarassed.

"They seem so happy." Wendy said, smiling, and Erza nodded.

"Yes, now that Silver has returned, they have many reasons to be happy." She told them, a look of pure happiness at the sight of her two friends.

Everyone had been informed of Silver's return two days before, when Gray and Juvia had announced it to the rest of the guild. They had also told everyone about Silver and Juvia's connection, since they had left that part out when telling their friends about Gray's assumption that his father might still be alive. The ice mage had told them weeks before, when the search began, that he thought he had seen his old man at the Games. However, with Silver's return, Juvia decided to come clean and tell everyone about what happened after she had escaped from Deliora.

No one had blamed her for lying, they understood the events were too traumatic and since she didn't remember much, it was no use telling anyone. Natsu, Max and Elfman had told her not to worry, they would teach the people who had kidnapped her a very painful lesson. Though the water mage had been glad to have such amazing friends who were willing to forgive her, she had declined their help in taking down her previous captors. She explained to them just how dangerous these people were, how the last thing she wanted was for someone she cared about to get hurt and how finding them would lead no where since they barely had any information.

They had decided to respect her wishes and not push the subject any further, but that doesn't mean that it was completely forgotten. Gray noticed many of their friends seemed to be keeping a close eye on Juvia, making sure that she was alright and even following her home (he had talked to Natsu about that and the dragon slayer agreed to stop doing it only after Lucy pointed out how creepy it was).

"Dad, you're not helping." The ice mage complained while frowning and the water mage stopped laughing.

"You're just too cute." She told him while smiling brightly and he blushed even more. As she wrapped her arms around his middle and gave him a kiss on the cheek, his gaze softened.

"Look at you two, I can almost hear the wedding bells." This caused both to blush as Silver smirked.

"I think you're getting a little ahead here, Mr. Fullbuster." Mira told him while approaching them with Juvia and Gray's drinks in hand.

"Thank you." Juvia muttered while Gray simply nodded as they took their drinks.

"With how long it took for Gray to ask her on a date, I think it will be decades before he proposes." Cana jumped at the opportunity to tease the ice mage.

"Why can't you ever drop that?" Gray asked in exasperation.

"Awww, look at him blush, so cute." Bisca said as she approached them with her daughter not far behind. Alzack was currently on a mission with Max.

"Uncle Gray is the cutest." Little Asuka added and everyone laughed while Gray groaned before turning around and burying his head on Juvia's shoulder. The water mage smiled and gently patted his back.

"Poor thing. Stop teasing him, you guys." She told everyone, but they weren't done.

"Has Gray mentioned that time he broke into Lucy's house, butt naked?" Cana asked Silver, who shook his head.

"Do tell." He told her, smiling as she began telling stories Gray definitely didn't want his father to hear.

The ice mage, having given up on stopping her, pulled apart from Juvia's embrace before letting out a sigh. The bluenette cast him a sympathetic glance before wrapping her arms around his neck and bringing his head closer to hers. He wasted no time in kissing her as he attempted to block out the sound of Cana talking about the time he had stripped during a mission and almost didn't get the reward due to being considered a pervert.

"Don't listen to Cana, he's actually a very nice guy." Mira attempted to defend him and Cana glared at her, arms crossed.

"Hey, I'm just telling the truth here." She protested just as Gray and Juvia pulled apart, arms still wrapped around each other.

"I think you're forgetting that I know my son. Although this stripping habit is something we'll have to discuss." He glanced at Gray with raised eyebrows.

"It's not that bad." He muttered, but Silver was unconvinced.

"It's gotten better since we got together." Juvia defended her boyfriend.

"I'll take your word for it, Juvia." The older man gave in and Gray smiled. "How my son's managed to find such a beautiful and kind hearted lady like yourself is something I find hard to believe."

"Seriously, dad? Do you really think so low of me?" The ice mage knew his father was joking, but it still bothered him.

"Don't think of it as an insult, son. It's just like with your mother, don't know how I got her either." This caused the ice mage to smile as well as Juvia.

* * *

 

_In the outskirts of Crocus..._

"Are you sure about this?" Agent Dorenbolt of the Magic Council asked.

"I see no other way." Jellal replied, looking serious and determined. Meredy stared between the two man, unsure.

"If something goes wrong..." The blue haired man interrupted him.

"You can put the blame on me." Dorenbolt grew quiet, clearly examining the situation.

"Are you kidding? That way they'll only search for us more. We could get caught, or worse." Meredy protested, arms crossed.

"I'm willing to take that risk, if it means keeping everyone safe." Jellal replied and before the pinkette could say more, Dorenbolt spoke.

"Jellal's idea might not be perfect, but it's better then what the council's been doing." He told them before sighing. "I've tried warning them about Tartarus and the growing threat they represent, but they're not listening."

"The council doesn't want to acknowledge such a threat, not when it might discredit their rule since they haven't done anything to stop Tartarus in the past." The blue haired man suggested and Meredy scoffed.

"They're not doing anyone a favor by acting like this. Who knows what Tartarus might be planning." She shivered at the thought of the dark guild and their plans.

"That's why we need to do this." Jellal said and once again the other two were unsure.

"But can we even trust a word they'll say?" The pinkette inquired.

"We'll have to. We've searched for weeks and came back empty handed. Whatever information they have, even if false, could help us locate Tartarus." He told her and she nodded.

"You're right. I haven't thought of it that way." Meredy said and Dorenbolt took a sharp intake of breath.

"So it's settled then. We'll be questioning Cobra, since he'll be the easier one to talk to after having cooperated with us during the Games." Jellal nodded while Meredy suddenly looked pale and sickly. "Are you alright?" The agent asked and she nodded weakly.

"Perhaps you should sit down, Meredy." The blue haired man helped her sit down on a rock near them and she kept taking deep breaths. Agent Dorenbolt watched them with curiosity and worry. "Don't worry, she's fine."

"If you say so." After casting Meredy one last questioning look, he turned back and started walking away while waving at them.

"Wait! When will we meet?" Jellal asked and Dorenbolt didn't look at them as he spoke.

"In 6 days near the Magic Council. I think it's best if you use a projection rather than disguising yourself. Until then, please be careful." With that, he was gone.

"Okay, I'm better now." Meredy said as she pushed Jellal away a bit and took a deep breath.

"Then let's get to Magnolia." He said before helping her stand up. They started walking back to camp so that they could retrieve their few belongings before leaving. Meredy wasn't at all excited to arrive in Magnolia or to have the certainly awkward conversation she knew awaited her.

* * *

 

"Is something wrong, Lucy?" Erza asked from the blonde's side upon noticing the frown on her face as she watched Gray, Juvia and Silver.

"I just feel...guilty." Lucy admitted, making Wendy, Natsu and the red head's smiles fall.

"You're not the only one." The young dragon slayer whispered.

"We did the right thing by not telling her." Erza told them, though unsurely.

They had decided not to tell Juvia about the discovery they had made in the Heartfilia Mansion two days before. The main reason for it was that Silver returned that very same day, so the water mage already had enough going on in her life. She didn't need the addition of learning that her mother was Layla Heartfilia's sister, a knowledge that could change everything she knew about her family.

So Erza, Natsu, Lucy, Wendy, Carla, Happy and the Thunder Legion had agreed to keep quiet about this secret, at least for now.

"Did we really?" The celestial wizard asked.

"Just look at her, she's happy. She doesn't need to know." Natsu pointed out and Lucy bit her lip.

"I found something else." She admitted, making them look at her.

"What is it?" Wendy asked and she sighed.

"I went back yesterday to take a last look, see if I hadn't left anything there." The blonde began explaining. "After that, I decided to see my mom and that's when I got the idea to check out the cemetery, figured there must be some clues there."

"And?!" Natsu impatiently asked when she didn't say anything for a few moments.

"It doesn't make sense." She replied at last.

"What doesn't make sense?" Erza asked.

"I found a grave." Silence followed that statement as they glanced towards the water mage. "Her name was there, Juliet Heartfilia. I don't know why I didn't see it before."

"I'm guessing you didn't spend your childhood walking around a cemetery." Natsu said while Erza was frowning.

"But it doesn't make sense why your father would never tell you about Juliet when her grave was right there." She pointed out.

"Honestly, I'm not surprised he didn't. He wasn't exactly the sharing type and I'm guessing my mom asked him not to tell me." The blonde told them. It made sense, Lucy's father, from what they had seen, was a pretty secretive person.

"But why? What reason could she possibly have for concealing this from you?" Wendy inquired and Carla offered a response.

"Parents always hide things from their children, sometimes in order to protect them." They knew she was referring to her own mother, who had sent her to Earth years before.

"I don't think this is the case. Something happened, something bad that they didn't want me to know." Lucy said and Erza nodded.

"I agree. The fact that Juliet seems to have been completely erased from the family tree points to that. " The red head told them and Lucy's face paled.

"I don't know if I want to find out, but after what I learned yesterday, I can't just let this go." They stared at her in confusion.

"You found a grave, I don't see how this makes you want to know more when we already knew that Juvia's mother died." Natsu pointed out and she shook her head.

"It wasn't just the grave." Lucy admitted. "According to Juvia, she was 3 years old when it happened, but as I looked at the dates on the tombstone, that's not what it said."

"What did it say?" Wendy asked, curious.

"It said she died on July 2nd of the year X762." Their eyes widened.

"That's impossible!" Erza shook her head, disbelieving.

"Juvia wasn't even born then." Carla pointed out and Lucy sighed.

"I know. Do you see now why I want to figure this out?" Silence fell upon them as each began wondering how it was possible for Juliet Heartfilia's tombstone to mark a date 8 years before her death.

* * *

 

_24 years before..._

_"Good evening." Silver and Mika greeted as they stopped in front of their friends' house. The door had been opened by Daniel, who smiled at them._

_"Come in." He greeted them before stepping aside so they could enter the house. It didn't take long for the couple to notice the woman on the couch holding a little boy in her arms._

_"How is he?" Mika worriedly asked and Juliet cast them smiles._

_"Sleeping. You're lucky, he's such a wonderful child." She stood up and walked towards them, careful not to walk the baby._

_"So you had a good time?" Silver questioned the other man, who chuckled._

_"Juliet sure did. I think you've found yourselves a full time babysitter." His wife smiled at him._

_"Absolutely. I'd love to spend more time with this little angel." She pressed the six months baby closer and he snuggled against her._

_"I can see Gray likes you as well." Mika told her with a bright smile._

_"Juliet's a natural, I'm sure she'll be a great mother one day." Silver praised and the blue haired woman gave a tight smile._

_"I hope so." Mika glared at her husband and his face quickly changed to apologetic. He knew the subject of children was a tough one, after all, Juliet and Daniel had been trying for quite some time. Their friends knew it had taken its toll on her, speacially after Gray had been born._

_"Well, it's a bit late and we're tired, so we'll see you tomorrow." Daniel said after a few moments of awkward silence. Mika and Silver nodded before Juliet reluctantly handed the sleeping child to his mother. He let out a tiny whimper before falling asleep once again._

_"Good night." The blue haired woman wished before they exchanged hugs. As it was Silver's turn to embrace her, he stayed a little longer than necessary._

_"I'm here for you." He whispered in her ear and she held onto him tighter. Those four simple words meant the world to her and he knew that._

_"Thank you." She whispered back._

_Once they were gone, Juliet let out a sigh. "So, are we going to talk about it?" Daniel asked and she avoided his eyes._

_"I'd rather not." It was his turn to sigh._

_"This is important, Juliet." She still didn't look at him. "I know I promised not to mention your family again, but we can't just ignore this." He told her, gently yet firmly._

_"Of course we can." She told him and his expression was sad when he spoke next._

_"Don't you care? She's your sister." This caused her to give him a disbelieving look._

_"Of course I care. I'm not heartless." His face softened._

_"I know you aren't, my love. I'm just concerned because I can see you regret pushing them away. They're your family after all." Juliet finally looked into his eyes and he was taken aback by the pain reflected in hers._

_"It's too late." She said simply and he cast her a gentle smile while taking both her hands in his and squeezing them._

_"It's never too late." He told her determinedly._

_"Yes, it is. It's been 4 years, Daniel. I can't just go back there and truthfully, I don't want to." She pulled her hands from his and walked a few steps back. "We must leave the past behind us if we truly wish to move on." Daniel sighed once again. He knew better than to argue with her when her mind was clearly made up._

_"Alright, then. Let's get to sleep now, love, you're clearly exhausted." She cast him a thankful smile before walking towards the stairs leading to their bedroom, him following her. Neither cast a glance towards the newspaper that had been resting for the past few hours on the coffee table. In the front page, it clearly read: "Heartfilia Empire secure: Layla Heartfilia confirmed to be pregnant with the future heir"._

* * *

"Juvia, come on. I promise I won't laugh." Gray pleaded as he called her.

It had been a few hours since Cana had made his morning a living hell and the ice mage couldn't be more glad to be back at his place with his girlfriend. Silver had stayed at the guild, claiming he wanted to get to know his friends a little better, though Gray knew he just wanted to get more dirt on him.

"I wouldn't blame you if you did." Juvia replied before sighing. She was currently in the master bedroom of his house, standing in front of the large closet mirror.

"I promise I'll be nice. Now just come out." He once again attempted to open the bedroom door, but she had locked it.

"Fine." Juvia muttered before slowly walking towards the door and letting him in. Once Gray took a good look at her, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

"Wow. You look…." He couldn't finish his sentence since his mind seemed to have stopped working.

"Hideous." Juvia completed while frowning as she took another glance at the mirror. She wore a long sleeved, bright pink dress with a few roses attached to the skirt. _(Here's the link with my inspiration: image/polls/932000/932458_1327187557420_ ?v=1327187514)_

"That's not what I was going for." Gray muttered. "But why do you have to wear it?"

"Because Sherry chose it and you don't argue with the bride." Juvia replied.

Shortly before the Grand Magic Games, Sherry had asked Juvia and Lucy to be bridesmaids on her upcoming wedding. The two of them had been honored, though confused. After all, Lucy and Sherry had always butted heads while Juvia barely knew the woman. But she had told them that she wanted to leave the past behind and thought the three of them could become close friends in the future. (Juvia later found out it was Lyon who asked Sherry to invite her, as a way of having her close)

In the end, the water and celestial mages didn't have much of a choice, so they agreed to be her bridesmaids alongside Chelia and Jenny, who was the maid of honor. Sherry had been arranging meetings between the 5 of them after the Games, so they had formed somewhat a friendship.

"So you're just supposed to wear that ridiculous thing?" Gray pointed towards the dress and Juvia pouted.

"It's not that bad." His eyebrows raised even higher. "Okay, it's horrible. So uncomfortable and…pink. I really don't like pink." She frowned and the ice mage laughed.

"Sometimes you're too nice for your own good." He told her.

"There's nothing wrong with being nice." She protested, arms crossed.

"I didn't say that. After all, it's one of the things I love most about you." A smile appeared on her face and she approached him, but ended up tripping on the long skirt in the process. Gray ran to her just before she could fall face flat on the ground and held her arms while she balanced herself.

"Okay, I want to get off this thing!" Juvia exclaimed with annoyance and the ice mage smirked.

"I can help with that." He seductively said and she smiled before turning around and holding her hair.

"You can start with the zipper then." A look of surprise appeared on his face, but he quickly shook it off as he began pulling the zipper down. After it had been pulled all the way to her waist, he softly traced his fingers through her pale back and she took a sharp breath when they lingered on the strap of her pink bra.

"I should..." He stopped, unsure what to do. Thankfully, he didn't have to decide because Juvia turned around, making his hands fall.

"You should kiss me." She told him and he easily complied, hands wrapping around her waist as he attempted to bring her closer. Her arms, still covered by the long sleeves of the dress, settled on his chest.

"What should I do now?" He softly asked once they pulled apart, both breathless.

"Remove it." She pretty much ordered while starting to unbutton his shirt. He easily discharged it once she finished the job and the water mage stared at him with a smile.

"Now that's better." Juvia whispered, fingers slowly tracing his muscular chest and it was his turn to take a sharp breath.

"It's your turn now." Gray told her and she began to slowly take off her dress. He was surprised by her boldness, usually she would insist on changing with his back turned or tell him to look away.

"What happens now?" Juvia asked once the dress had been removed and she was left in her underwear. He eyed her with desire.

"Come here." She approached him and he kissed her once again, even more passionately. One hand brought her closer while the other settled on her hair. Her own arms wrapped around his neck.

Only a few seconds later, a loud sound made them pull apart and stare at each other in confusion. "What the..." Gray muttered before he realized someone was knocking on the door.

"Is someone at the door?" Juvia said, thinking the same.

"We can ignore them." He suggested before leaning in to kiss her again, but she placed a finger to his lips while eying the door.

"It could be important. What if it's news on Levy's condition?" Gray sighed.

"It'd better be." He muttered before walking towards where his shirt was. Juvia went towards the wardrobe, where some of her clothes were. She had been leaving them there for a while, since she sometimes stayed over at his place due to the rule forbidding boys at Fairy Hills.

* * *

 

They climbed down the stairs and Gray opened the door. They were surprised to find Bisca there, little Asuka in tow. As the couple stared at them in confusion, the woman gave a pleading look. "Hey, I'm sorry for...interrupting." She glanced knowingly between them and Gray's hands flew to his shirt as he sensed if it was fully buttoned while Juvia attempted to fix her hair.

"Is something wrong, Bisca?" She asked after a few seconds.

"There's been a change of plans." The older woman replied before sighing. "I received a message from Max, the mission isn't going as smoothly as they assumed and they need my help."

"Is Alzack okay?" Gray asked, her clearly distressed state seemed to be about more than the prospect of going.

"I don't know." She snapped her face turning to apologizing soon after. "Sorry, I'm just worried."

"It's alright, we can see that." Juvia gently told her before taking her hand and squeezing it." So, do you want us to watch over little Asuka?" She eyed the dark haired child, who looked at them excitedly.

"Can you? I know it's a lot to ask and so suddenly, but I already tried with Natsu and Lucy and they're with Levy and..." Bisca started nervously rambling, clearly stressed.

"Don't worry, we'd be honored to take care of this little angel." The water mage told her before looking down at the little girl.

"I want to stay with uncle Gray and auntie Juvia." Asuka spoke firmly and the three adults laughed.

"Guess you have your answer then." Gray told Bisca and she cast them a grateful smile.

"Thank you. I should be back by tomorrow most, but if the mission takes longer, Mira can watch her." The couple nodded and she handed Juvia Asuka's little green bag before kneeling down. "You be a good girl, okay? I'll be back soon."

"I'll miss you mamma." The child said before the two of them hugged and Bisca kissed her forehead.

"Goodbye, sweetheart." She stood up and waved before walking away from them. Gray and Juvia shared looks as they came to the realization they had never taken care of a child before.

"So, what do you want to do now?" The ice mage asked Asuka and she looked lost in thought for a moment.

"I want to go to the park." She told them and Juvia laughed before extending a hand.

"The park it is, then. Can you take that, darling?" She gave Gray Asuka's little bag and he raised an eyebrow.

"Why do I need to carry it?" He complained and Asuka crossed her arms while eyeing him firmly.

"Because I want you to." She pouted and Juvia smiled.

"See? Can't say no to that cute little face!" She took Asuka's hand and began walking away from the house. Gray shook his head as a small smile appeared on his face. This was going to be one crazy afternoon.

* * *

 

_In Magnolia Park..._

Lyon Vastia nervously stood by the mermaid shaped fountain, looking around wildly. He had been waiting for 30 minutes and she had yet to show up. He knew she had something big to tell him, her letters had made it clear something was happening and the urgency in them only made him even more nervous.

He stepped away from the fountain after noticing that he had accidentally frozen it, his magic having gotten out of control. (Frozen reference) As he was turning it back to normal, there was the sound of footsteps and he knew it was her. He turned around and gave her a small smile she didn't return. Her face showed nervousness and fear and she looked worse than he had ever seen. Lyon was concerned by her paleness and sickly appearance.

"Hey." He called and she only nodded as she stood there, uncertain. "Are you okay?" He asked after a few seconds of silence.

"Not even close." Meredy muttered before taking a deep breath. "I need... There's something I have to tell you." He nodded.

"What is it?" He extended his hand and she seemed unsure for a moment, but took it. The ice mage led her to the fountain where both sat down.

"I don't know what to say." She admitted and he could see just how hard this was for her.

"If you need more time, we can meet again soon." Lyon gently told her, but she shook her head.

"No, I have to do this now or else I'll never be able to." She bit her lip and he patiently waited for her to compose herself. "I...I am..." She couldn't say it.

"I think I know what you're going to say." The ice mage said, eyes locked on her hands that had been clasped to her lap, but now one of them rested upon her stomach. A gesture he wouldn't have thought much before, but now had so much meaning.

Meredy stared at him wide eyed. "You do?" He nodded before taking a deep breath.

"You're carrying a child." He stated and she nodded, eyes suddenly brimming with tears.

"I'm sorry." He was taken aback.

"Why? It's not like this is your fault only." His words had the opposite desired effect as she began crying. "Come now, there's no need for tears." It took a few moments for her to calm down as she took deep breaths.

"Sorry, it seems like I can't stop crying." Meredy said while drying her tears.

"That's to be expected." Lyon calmly said, recalling Sherry's first few months of pregnancy.

"Why are you acting like this?" She suddenly screamed, standing up.

"Like what?" He was confused.

"So calmly. I expected you to freak out about this." He almost felt like laughing, her assumption that he wasn't freaking out couldn't be more wrong.

"Trust me, I am freaking out alright. But I know that's not what you need right now, so I'm trying to at least act calmly." She eyed him suspiciously.

"You already knew, didn't you?" Lyon sighed before confirming with a nod.

"I suspected it. On our last two encounters I noticed some signs I've seen with Sherry. I wasn't sure, which is why I didn't say anything." Meredy shook her head before sitting down once again. "What I don't understand is how this happened, we've always been careful."

"Not the first time." Silence fell upon them as they recalled their first night together.

* * *

 

_Once they reached his room at the inn, luckily without having to fight any dragons, Lyon placed her on the bed, beneath the covers. He knew she needed to rest after everything that went down that night._

_"Don't go." She grabbed onto his arms as he prepared to leave._

_"You need to rest." He told her and she sat up._

_"I doubt I'll be able to sleep tonight." She muttered. Lyon was thankful that she was no longer crying._

_"You should try. It'll do you good." He sat down by the bed and gently pushed her down on the pillows._

_In that moment, as he was being so kind to her, Meredy made the decision that would change their lives forever. It was because of it that they would find themselves in such a mess only a few weeks later._

_"It's too hot in here." She complained while sitting up again. Before he could stop her, she had removed her cape._

_"Okay. Are you...Now it's time to sleep." He gulped while attempting not to stare at her exposed cleavage._

_"Are you okay?" She asked, eyebrow raised._

_"Yes." He quickly looked away before standing up. Once again she grabbed his arm, but this time she pulled, making him lose his balance and fall down, on top of her. Both breathed heavily as their faces were close and Lyon cursed himself for thinking abotu kissing her. "I'm sorry."_

_"Don't be." Meredy told him, a soft hand touching his cheek. He shivered with the contact, knowing he needed to get away. "I should...Do you..." She lifted her head, as her other hand settled on his shoulder._

_She was so close he didn't know how long he could resist it. The desire to kiss her was overwhelming and he couldn't pull away._

_"Yes." She whispered and he gave up, closing his eyes as his lips collided with hers._

* * *

 

"I need more time." Lyon admitted after they finished remising about the past.

"I understand." She replied, sniffling as the tears prepared to fall once again.

"Once I've thought this through, I'll contact you. Will you stay in Magnolia?" She nodded.

"Yes." He also nodded shortly before standing up.

"I'll see you soon, then. Good bye, Meredy." Meredy said her goodbyes and, as she watched him walk away, she was filled with loneliness in a way she had never felt before. Not when her parents were killed or when Ultear left her.

With all this emotions swirling inside her, it wasn't possible to stop the tears. She was glad the area around the fountain was empty, so no one would see her breaking down.

* * *

 

"This is so good!" Asuka cheered as she ate a caramade frank. The two adults laughed.

"I'm glad you liked it." Juvia told her before using a napkin to clean the child's face.

"I want more." She pleaded and they shared looks.

"I think you've had enough." Gray said and she pouted.

"But I'm still hungry." Asuka complained and Juvia intervened.

"How about we have some ice cream, then?" The little girl excitedly nodded before standing up from the bench.

"Come on!" She called for them and the adutls stood up before following her.

"She's a real piece of work." Gray commented and the water mage smiled.

"From what Silver's told me, you were even more troublesome as a child." She teased and he frowned, slightly blushing.

"That's a lie. I was a good kid and I didn't make people carry horrible bags." He complained while staring towards Asuka's green bag.

"What about when we have a child? Won't you carry their bags?" Juvia casually asked and he smiled, having gotten used to her briging up the topic. He knew she wanted kids one day and he wasn't too oposed to the idea. In the far and distant future, of course.

"No, I'll leave that to you." It was her turn to frown.

"Come on, you're too slow!" Asuka called while looking back at them. The ice cream shop was on the other side of the park, just after the main fountain.

"Too slow, huh? We'll see about that." Gray said, smirking as he began running towards her and Asuka laughed as she escaped him.

Juvia watched them with a smile as she stopped by a tree. The sound of muffled sobs made her turn around and she found herself close to the mermaid fountain, where she spotted a crying Meredy. Concern instantly filled her features as she walked towards the pinkette.

"Meredy?" The young girl jumped and looked around widly before her gaze settled on the water mage.

"Hey." She quickly attempted to dry her tears while casting a forced smile.

"Are you okay?" The bluenette asked before approaching her.

"I'm fine." Juvia raised an eyebrow, seeing right through her act.

"I can tell that's not true. Talk to me, what's wrong?" The water mage sat by her side and Meredy sighed.

"I found something." She admitted and Juvia nodded encouragingly. "It...It changes things."

"Okay. Might I ask what is it?"Meredy took a deep breath, but found herself unable to say it.

She knew she should, Juvia was a friend, someone she could trust. She would help her. So the pinkette slowly took one of the water mage's hands and placed it on her still flat stomach, hoping she would understand. Juvia's eyes widened.

"Hey, what's going on?" A male voice was heard and they looked towards Gray, who held Asuka in his arms and stared at them in confusion.

"Who's that?" The child inquired, curious.

"Juvia?" Gray asked, eyes focused on her hand on Meredy's stomach. The water mage swallowed hard after retreating her hand.

"Meredy, are you..." The pinkette confirmed.

"Yes." Silence fell upon them as Gray and Juvia tried to understand it.

After a few moments, the ice mage put Asuka on the ground and she jumped on the fountain, oblivious to the tension between the three adults. "Who's the father?" He asked. As Meredy looked away, he shared a look with the water mage, both already having an idea of the answer.

* * *

 

_Back at Fairy Tail..._

Wendy and Carla were at the infirmary with Gajeel and Levy. The dragon slayer had been placed in charge of Gajeel's recovery, since Porlyusica saw how he had a soft spot for her. Gajeel had been a hard patient, as the healer told Juvia many times, since he refused to stay still and rest like he should. Only his concerns about Levy and wanting to be in his best form when she woke up made him obey to Porlyusica's orders and actually stay at the infirmary.

At the moment, the iron dragon slayer was sleeping as well as Wendy, who had been too tired after spending most of the night before there with him. Carla was the only one awake as she sat down by Levy's bed, keeping an eye on the petit bluenette to make sure she was still breathing.

Just after the white exceed decided to have a glass of water, it happened. She wasn't taken aback like the first time, having gotten used to it by now. However, the vision this time was worse than any others and Carla let out a gasp as the glass fell from her hands and shattered on the ground.

_First, there was Fairy Tail. The only reason she recognized the guild was due to the flag on top of the ruins. Ashes, that's more precise. There were no signs of life. The guild members were gone, dead. All of them._

_The next flash was of Zeref. Carla had no doubt he was the one responsible. He stood in the middle of a grass field where the rain was falling nonstop. He was alone or at least that's what it seemed before the rain took form and she was there. Juvia._

_Standing not far from him, looking paler than ever, eyes once so lively now empty. She glanced behind her towards a body that lay on the ground, Gray Fullbuster. His eyes were closed, skin pale and soaked. The guild mark on his chest was gone. A broken look crossed Juvia's face before Zeref said something Carla didn't hear and she nodded as the rain began falling even harder._

* * *

 

**Next Chapter: Memories and Agreements.**

**It will be dedicated to Ultear, so expect lots of flashbacks. Expect also: development for GaLe, the return of Jerza, more Lyredy and new info on Zeref's p** **ast.**

**Think we can make it to 565 hits by Sunday so that I can post it then?**

 


	18. Memories and Agreements

**Hey, people. As promised, here's the next chapter of Connections. **

******This one is more focused on Meredy and Ultear, two characters I adore. You also get scenes with all the major couples, so you're welcome ;)**

**(I think I may have overdone it with the flashbacks.)**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

 

Love Goes On-The Shack  
There ain't nothin' so broken  
Love can't heal, I feel  
Every day I grow older  
Time reveals, reveals  
That nothing's really gone  
We bring the past along  
And love goes on  
That nothing's really gone  
We bring the past along  
And love goes on

* * *

 

"Good morning!" Gray cheerfully greeted as he landed on the balcony outside Juvia's room at Fairy Hills after having climbed the icy vines he had created.

"Good morning, my love." The water mage said, happy to see him so cheerful, even more so knowing the reason for it was the night before, which he had spent with his father.

The couple shared a kiss and she pressed him against the balcony, causing him to almost fall down. "Sorry." Juvia whispered as she pulled him up.

"No problem." The ice mage replied before stepping away from the balcony. "What?" He asked upon seeing the dreamy smile on her face.

"Nothing." The bluenette blushed before turning around, avoiding his eyes. Gray raised an eyebrow in confusion before approaching her taking her hand, forcing her to turn around.

"Juvia, come on. I know you. What were you thinking?" He wrapped his arms around her waist, making escaping impossible, and she bit her lip.

"I was just remembering something my mother told me." The bluenette replied and he was instantly curious.

"What was it?" Gray asked and she smiled as the memory crossed her mind.

"When I was young she used to read me a book. My father kept reading it after she died. It was called Romeo and Juliet." Gray nodded to sign he was listening.

"What was the book about?" The water mage went back to dreamy when she answered, hands pressed together against her heart.

"It was a story about two lovers who were forbidden to be together, but they fought for their love. I remember my favorite part was when the man, Romeo, climbed the vines so he could reach Juliet's balcony and they could be together in secret." Understanding crossed his face as Gray glanced towards the icy vines he had created.

"I see." Juvia blushed when he smirked before he brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "How did the story end? Did they manage to find a way to be together?" He inquired and her face fell.

"No, the ending isn't happy." Before the ice mage could ask about it, a new voice was heard.

"I hate the ending of Romeo and Juliet." The water mage removed Gray's arms and turned around to face the pinkette.

"Did you read it?" She asked and Meredy nodded.

"Yes, Ultear showed it to me a long time ago." There was a pause as hurt crossed her face. "Morning, Gray."

"Morning, Meredy." He greeted back before glancing towards Juvia. "So you've finally managed to get her out of bed?"

For the past few days since they had found her on the park, the water mage had allowed the pinkette to stay with her in Fairy Hills and the latter hadn't left the apartment at all.

The couple hadn't been too shocked to learn that Lyon was the father of Meredy's child, they had sensed something between the two for a while. However, to have the ice mage disappear after she had told him made Juvia wonder if she knew him at all. She wouldn't have expected the kind man who dedicated so much to her to just vanish, leaving a pregnant Meredy alone.

"It wasn't easy, but I have my ways." The water mage to replied with a sly smile and Meredy frowned.

"Yeah, by threatening people." She crossed her arms and Gray stared at his girlfriend, eyebrow raised.

"What exactly did you say?" He inquired and it was Juvia's turn to frown.

"She's exaggerating. All I did was to bake some cookies." Understanding crossed his face and he gave the pinkette a pitiful look.

"So she threatened to take them away if you didn't get up?" Meredy confirmed. "I've been there."

"It's getting late. We should go now." Juvia turned to the pinkette, who nodded.

"Go where?" Gray asked, confused.

"The infirmary. Juvia convinced me to get checked out by the healer." The pinkette explained.

"Yes, we need to make sure this precious baby is okay." The water mage placed a hand on Meredy's stomach while smiling.

"Thanks for being such a great friend, Juvi. I owe you one." The two friends shared smiles.

"No problem. Shall we go now?" The ice mage spoke, reminding them of his presence.

"What about me?" The bluenette laughed upon seeing his pout before approaching him and kissing his cheek.

"You can get started on the cookies. We'll be back soon." She turned around and took Meredy's arm as they left the room.

* * *

 

"We shouldn't be doing this." Jellal said as he stared breathlessly at the redhead.

"Then stop." She told him, smiling as he sighed before leaning in once again. They kissed hungrily, trying to make up for all the time they had been apart. The wind blew around them and a few petals tangled themselves in Erza's hair, but she didn't pay attention. Her focus was solely on the man who was kissing her, the one she loved more than anything.

"I don't know how I managed to stay away from you for so long." He said after they pulled apart and she laughed.

"I don't either. Life is so...dull without you in it." She admitted and he smiled before both sat up, looking at the beautiful field of buttercups.

"Soon enough, we won't have to be apart anymore." He told her and Erza turned around to face him.

"Are you sure that this will work?" Jellal sighed.

"I don't know, Erza. But it's the best plan we have." She nodded, understanding.

"I'm just concerned. They can't be trusted." He also nodded.

"I know, but perhaps they have changed. After all, they've been imprisoned for so long and I know how it can change a person." He suggested and a sad look crossed her face as she thought of the time he had spent in prison.

"But you're different, you were good from the start. You just lost your way." She counter-argumented.

"So did they. Don't forget, they were in the tower. Back then, they weren't bad people. Only after Brain took them did they become the villains you know." Erza nodded once again.

"I see your point. I hope you're right." The next few minutes were spent quietly, his arms wrapped around her from behind as she leaned on him and allowed herself to just be happy. At that moment, she wasn't the Erza Scarlet her friends and enemies were used to. She was just a normal woman enjoying the company of her lover.

"Have you contacted Milliana recently?" He asked after a few minutes.

"No, the last time I spoke with her was over 2 weeks ago." She replied and a curious look crossed his face.

"I wonder why she didn't talk to you, I figured she would tell you." Erza shrugged.

"Maybe she's not ready to admit it to me. After all, she did quite a good job at convincing me to hate you during the Games." The redhead reminded him.

"Perhaps." He replied, a faraway look on his face as he thought back to his conversation with Milliana 10 days before.

* * *

 

_"Who are you?" Jellal asked as he stared at the figure wearing a black hood. They were in the middle of no where and the thought of being alone with an unknown person made him uneasy. For all he knew, this could be a trap._

_However, he knew that coming here was the right thing to do. The message he had received from this mysterious person contained information about him and Erza that no one would know unless they had been spying on them. He needed to know who had it and what they were planning._

_"You can relax, this isn't a trap." The person replied as if reading his thoughts. The voice was familiar, but he couldn't place from where._

_"I have already revealed myself to you, so it's only fair you do the same." He told them firmly and they laughed._

_"Since when do you play fair, huh, Jellal?" They removed the hood anyways and his eyes widened upon spotting Erza's old friend, Milliana._

_"I... What are you doing here?" Jellal immediately started panicking and looking around warily._

_"Don't worry, I haven't contacted the council with your location. There's no one else here." She told him and he stared, confused._

_"Why? I thought you wanted to see me punished." Milliana sighed._

_"I do, but I know that isn't the right thing to do." He was caught off guard by her reply._

_"What do you mean?" She frowned._

_"Erza would never forgive me if I just handed you over." He remained silent, realization sinking in. "By the way, I wasn't spying on you that night, as I'm sure you assumed."_

_"Then why were you there?" Jellal asked, still unsure whether he could trust her._

_"I was running from the dragons and looking for Kagura when I saw you two." She paused, taking in a sharp breath. "I knew Erza had forgiven you, but I had no idea just how deep her feelings went. But I saw it that night, I saw just how much she loves you."_

_"Why are you telling me this?" He questioned._

_"Because I made a decision." Jellal raised an eyebrow. "I've spent so long hating you for what you did to us that I never thought how it might have affected you. But after seeing how much you regret it and how Erza loves you in spite of it, I realized I needed to let go of my anger."_

_"So what are you saying?" His eyes were wide with disbelief and Milliana smiled._

_"I'm willing to forgive you, Jellal. For trapping us in that tower, for attacking us and for...Simon." The last word caused both to flinch._

_"Thank you." He told her, unsure what he could say._

_"Don't thank me. Thank Erza, for believing in you when no one else did. She's the reason I'm here, because I want her to be happy." Jellal nodded._

_"I understand. I promise you, I will find a way to make up for everything I've done, so that I can be deserving of her forgiveness and yours." Milliana smiled._

_"You're already on the right path." She told him before turning around and walking away. He barely heard her say goodbye as his heart was filled with happiness and relief._

* * *

 

Juvia and Meredy reached the Fairy Tail guild a few minutes later. They entered through the back door, since it was best if no one saw the pinkette there. Most of the members knew she had been staying with Juvia and the water mage knew that Meredy wouldn't want them questioning her reasons for staying in Magnolia when it was clearly too dangerous to be there.

"Good morning, Miss. Porlyusica." The bluenette greeted the healer, who glared at her.

"You're late." The woman complained from her spot by Levy's bedside. The petit bluenette hadn't woken up yet and everyone was worried about her. It wasn't usual someone to stay out for over a week, but considering Levy was more fragile and unused to battle, Porlyusica had told them not to worry so much. It was only a matter of waiting.

"Sorry, someone took a while to get up." Juvia replied, glancing towards Meredy.

"Sorry." The pinkette nervously said before entering the room and closing the door behind her. The healer's eyes widened upon seeing her and the two friends shared looks.

"Is something wrong, Miss. Porlyusica?" The bluenette asked, concerned.

"Who are you?" The older woman stood up and quickly approached them, eyeing Meredy warily.

"Who, me? I'm just a friend of Juvia's." Porlyusica shook her head.

"No, that's not what I asked." Once she was right in front of the pinkette, she stopped, eyes analyzing her entirely. "Incredible."

"Do you know what's happening?" Meredy asked Juvia, who shook her head.

"Tell me, child, where do you come from?" The pinkette stared at her in confusion.

"Why do you ask?" She questioned.

"Just answer, human." The healer snapped.

"My hometown was called Rome, I think." Meredy nervously answered, scared of this crazy woman.

"Just as I thought." Porlyusica muttered.

"What?" Juvia asked, getting impatient.

"You're Dimitri's daughter." Silence followed that statement as the pinkette was the one to stare at Porlyusica wide eyed.

"How do you know my father's name? Only Ultear knew that." She inquired after a few minutes and a sad look crossed the woman's face.

"I knew him well, but that was a long time ago." Her vague response made both girls feel uneasy. "I never thought that I would see him again, but now you're here. Looking so much like him it's uncanny."

"How did you know him?" Meredy asked, curious. In the 14 years that had followed her escape from the ruins of her home she had never encountered someone who knew her parents or the few friends she had there.

"He was my son." The two girls stared at the healer in shock.

"What?!" Meredy screamed, taking a step back.

"That's not possible." Juvia stared between the two of them.

"I would have thought so if I hadn't seen you with my own eyes. There's no doubt in my mind that you are my granddaughter." The pinkette bit her lip, confused and unsure.

"Why didn't you seek me, then? You must have known that I had survived when my body wasn't found." Tears fell from her eyes as feelings she had buried long ago resurfaced.

"I didn't know. When I visited Rome after receiving the news, the town had been burnt to the ground, so there wasn't much left. I never would've assumed that someone might have survived." Porlyusica explained, thinking back to the day everything changed. The day she decided to begin her secluded life away from everyone, thinking that being alone would help ease the grief of losing everything.

"You should have. I…I never would have joined Grimoire Heart if you had found me." Meredy's anger was escalating and Juvia worried she might do something she would later regret.

"You also would have never met Ultear. Or me." She said, making them look at her. "I know what it's like to wish things had been different, Meredy. But there's no use in dwelling about the past, all we can do is hope for the future." Her words had the desired effect as the pinkette took a deep breath.

"You're right. I'm sorry I yelled at you." She turned to the healer, who gave her a soft smile.

"It's alright, child. You have every right to be angry." Juvia stared between the two of them, smiling and ignoring the small part of her that felt jealous.

"I think this calls for a hug." She told them and Meredy gave her a thankful smile before unsurely approaching Porlyusica. The woman had an unusual kind and relaxed smile on her face as she opened her arms and embraced her granddaughter tightly. Overwhelmed by emotions, the pinkette couldn't keep the tears any longer and the healer gently comforted her as she cried.

"I'm so glad I've found you."

* * *

 

Only a few minutes after Meredy and Porlyusica's embrace, the door to the infirmary was suddenly opened.

"What's going on here?" Juvia looked towards her best friend, who stared in confusion between the three women.

"It's a long story. What are you doing here?" She almost face palmed after asking that.

"Levy. Have there been any changes?" He asked Porlyusica, who slowly retracted her arms from around Meredy while the pinkette dried her tears.

"She remains the same." The healer replied while giving him a sympathetic look he ignored as he approached the bed and sat down by Levy's side. Juvia smiled when she saw his eyes focus on Levy's hand as if tempted to take it.

"This shouldn't have happened. She should be awake by now." He whispered, concerned.

"She'll wake up in her own time." The healer repeated the words she had told him multiple times.

"Are they together?" The pinkette whispered in Juvia's ear and the bluenette smiled.

"Not yet." She replied, eyes locked on her best friend.

"Well, you must leave now. Meredy has an appointment." Meredy's hand flew to her stomach as she suddenly remembered the reason she had come there.

"No way! I just got here." The dragon slayer complained.

"You can stay with Levy later. This shouldn't take too long." Juvia gently told him, but he was unconvinced.

"What even is this?" There was no reply as the two girls shared looks. "You've been keeping me in the dark about everything that has to do with her and I don't like it."

"I know you don't, but this isn't about you. You need to respect Meredy's privacy." The water mage warned and he sighed.

"Fine. You have 15 minutes." He told them before standing up. As Meredy raised an eyebrow in his direction, a new voice spoke.

"Don't…go." Everyone stared in shock at the unconscious girl on the bed.

"Levy?" Juvia approached the bed, but stopped once a small hand wrapped itself on Gajeel's arm.

"Don't leave…me." Levy spoke again, voice weak and shaky.

"I won't." The dragon slayer replied before sitting back down. Her hand left his arm instead squeezing his hand.

"Where am I?" She asked while blinking.

"In Fairy Tail, you're safe." Juvia told her and she turned her head a bit before groaning.

"So we're back. How?" Levy asked and Porlyusica spoke next.

"Do you recall what happened before you got here?" She asked and the petit bluenette frowned.

"We were…a mission. An ambush. Lily and I fought against them." A relieved smile appeared on Gajeel's face.

"No amnesia. That's good, right?" He turned to the healer, who nodded.

"Did Lily bring us here?" Levy asked, recalling how Gajeel had been unconscious.

"Yes, he was awesome." She smiled.

"Remind me to…thank him when I feel better." She said before groaning again.

"She's in pain, what do we do?" Juvia asked the healer.

"You need to leave so I can take a look." She told them and the water mage nodded before giving Levy a smile.

"We'll be back soon, okay? I'm glad you're awake, Levy." The other bluenette smiled back.

"Thanks." Juvia nodded before leaving the room with Meredy in tow. She didn't bother calling Gajeel, knowing it would be impossible to get him out of the room

"Don't even bother trying to get me to leave." Gajeel said and the healer smiled.

"I wasn't going to." She replied. It had been clear from the start just how much he cared about the injured mage, which is why she had allowed him to extend his visitations way over the usual limit.

After a few minutes of Porlyusica checking out Levy's remaining injuries, she told them that the pain was most likely coming from a few broken ribs. It was the only injury that hadn't been completely healed during the one week since Levy's admission.

"So all she has to do is take this potion?" Gajeel asked after the healer prescribed it.

"Yes. It will speed up the healing process. As for the pain, Wendy's magic should solve it. That doesn't mean you can leave the infirmary yet, do you understand?" Levy nodded.

"I do. Can't believe I've been out for a week." She turned to Gajeel. "Is everyone alright?"

"Yeah, they're fine. Just worried about you." He replied.

"I'll get Wendy." Porlyusica said before she left.

"So, how are you?" Levy asked him once they were alone.

"You're the one on the hospital bed." Gajeel replied while raising an eyebrow.

"True. But you're the one that's been waiting a week for me to wake up." She told him before slowly sitting up with his help. "And I know you blame yourself for what happened." He looked away.

"How could I not?" He muttered and Levy surprised him by grabbing his face, forcing him to look at her.

"This is not your fault. I don't blame you and you shouldn't either." She told him, firmly, and he felt uneasy with how close they suddenly were. "Are we clear?"

"Crystal." He replied, pulling her hand away with his own before standing up.

"Where are you going?" The bluenette asked once he turned around. Gajeel wondered if she could hear how fast his heart was beating at that moment. It was something he was just getting used to and that only happened in her presence. And he was terrified of it. Terrified of what she made him feel, of what he thought of when he was near her.

He needed to get out of that room before he things got out of control.

"Have breakfast. I'm starving and now that you're awake, there's no need for me to be here." He told her and Levy frowned, confused. Only a few minutes ago he was insistent on staying and now he wanted to leave? Why?

"What's wrong?" She asked, attempting to sit better. A groan of pain made him look back at her and there was something in his eyes she didn't recognize. Fear. What was he afraid of?

"Nothing's wrong." He nervously replied while crossing his arms.

"Why are you suddenly acting like this?" She asked, a little impatient.

"I'm not acting like anything, shrimp. You're just seeing things." Levy huffed in frustration.

"Argh, why do I even bother?" She muttered, head between her hands. Hurt crossed his face, but Gajeel knew it was better if he left. He couldn't be around her, not with all these thoughts and emotions overwhelming him.

"I'll leave now." He whispered before turning around once again.

"Wait!" She called and he felt a hand grab onto his arm.

"What are you doing?" He yelled and she didn't reply as she slowly stood up, holding onto him."Stupid, you're supposed to stay in bed."

"I'm hungry. Let's go." He feared how weak she sounded, so he stayed still. "Come on!" Levy impatiently said, pushing him, but she'd have better luck with a rock.

"I swear to god, if you don't climb into that bed…" He threatened after turning around to face her.

"You'll do what?" She dared, raising an eyebrow. Once again, he felt uneasy by their proximity.

"Just let go of me." He complained and Levy took the opportunity to push him again. In his distracted state, he was unable to hold himself and ended up falling to the ground, bringing her with him. As he let out a groan after hitting his head, Levy laughed.

"Sorry." She apologized while slowly getting off of him.

"Argh, was that really necessary?" She cast a sympathetic smile before helping him sit up.

"Let me take a look." The bluenette told him, getting closer.

"I'm fine." He quickly pushed her away, ignoring the hurt look on her face as he did so.

"Relax, it's not like I'm going to kiss you." Levy rolled her eyes, missing the way his widened. "Oh, this looks bad. Good thing we're already at the infirmary." She told him while carefully touching the back of his head.

"Levy…" She was surprised by how nervous he sounded.

"What?" She looked him in the eye and Gajeel couldn't help himself anymore.

He wanted to kiss her, no matter how much he was trying to convince himself it was a horrible idea. He didn't know why or when he had started to develop feelings for her, but they could no longer be denied. So he ignored the voice in the back of his head reminding him that only a few days he had caused her to almost die. He ignored everything as he grabbed the back of her head and kissed her hard.

* * *

 

"This was a great idea, thank you darling." Juvia praised her boyfriend, who walked by her side.

"I know, I'm a genius." Gray playfully replied and Meredy rolled her eyes.

The three of them were currently on their way to the beach, where 5 weeks before Gray and Lyon had built graves for Ur and Ultear on a hidden part near the woods.

After Meredy had been released by Porlyusica with the news that everything was alright with her and the baby, Gray had met her and Juvia at the guild and told them of his idea to go see Ultear since it had been a while. Though she had just been reunited with her grandmother, the pinkette agreed to visit her mother before going back to the guild so she and Porlyusica could catch up.

"Looks like we're not the only ones who came here." Meredy said, smirking. The three of them stared at Jellal and Erza, who were standing in front of the graves, lips locked together.

"Now I'm confused. I had no idea they were together." Gray whispered and Juvia laughed.

"That's because you're clueless, my love." His response was cut off by Meredy loudly speaking.

"Hey, you two." The other couple quickly pulled apart and stared at them wide eyed.

"Meredy!" Jellal exclaimed, extracting his arms from Erza's waist.

"Seems as if you had the same idea as us." Gray said, trying to sound normal.

"Yes, it's been a while since I visited Ultear." Jellal replied almost calmly, still blushing.

"And this time you decided to bring Erza with you. How romantic." Meredy told him, pleased when he blushed even more.

"We're not…together." He said lamely, making Gray, Juvia and Meredy raise eyebrows.

"Sure, man. Whatever you say." The ice mage told him while the two girls smiled.

"So, Meredy, how was the check up with Porlyusica? Is everything okay?" Erza asked. She was one of the few people who were aware of Meredy's condition, since Jellal had told her after getting permission from the pinkette. To say Erza had been shocked to learn of Meredy and Lyon's relationship and the result of it was an understatement. It was hard for her to wrap her mind around the fact that the child she had met on Tenrou Island only a few months before was now pregnant.

"Yes, she said we're both fine." The pinkette replied, a hand resting on her stomach.

"That's good to hear. It's almost time for me to go meet Agent Dorenbolt. Are you sure that you'll be alright?" Jellal asked, concerned.

"I'll be okay, don't worry about me." Meredy reassured him with a smile.

"She's in good hands." Juvia added, a hand placed on her shoulder. The blue haired man eyed them unsurely for a moment before nodding.

"Alright, then." Meredy then turned her attention to the graves behind him.

"The graves look so beautiful. Thank you for bringing her flowers, she'll be happy." Jellal shook his head.

"We didn't, they were already here when we arrived." A puzzled look came to her face as she approached the tombstone.

"Strange. White roses were her favorite flowers. I wonder who else knew." She whispered, a smile coming to her face as she recalled the day Ultear had told her about it.

* * *

_10 years before…_

_9 years old Meredy ran around the field, having the time of her life. She loved getting some fresh air and having the opportunity to just run around freely, away from the prison that was her home at Grimoire Heart. Ultear watched her with a soft smile while sitting on the grass._

_"Ultear, look what I got you." The young woman smiled upon seeing the sunflower on the child's hand._

_"It's beautiful, Meredy." She picked the flower and placed it on her hair while Meredy smiled brightly._

_"Do you like flowers?" The child curiously asked and the time mage nodded._

_"Not all of them, but I do love white roses. There's something about the purity and innocence of white that I find so interesting." Of course, back then Meredy didn't know she was referring to her own impurity and desire to one day be innocent and happy once again._

_"So they're your favorite flowers?" The child inquired and Ultear laughed before opening her arms so that the pinkette could sit down on her lap._

_"I suppose you could say that." She replied before gently kissing Meredy's forehead._

_Throughout all the years Meredy had known her, Ultear had always showed affection and love, just like any mother would. That's why when Zancrov had revealed that she was the one behind the attack on Rome, she had a hard time believing it. How could someone so patient, kind and loving could be capable of such destruction?_

* * *

 

"Perhaps it was Lyon who left them." Juvia suggested and the name made everyone tense up.

"I doubt it." Jellal said, anger crossing his features.

"Haven't you found him yet?" Erza inquired, turning to Gray and Juvia.

"No, he's done a good job in disappearing." Gray replied, crossing his arms.

"I'm sure he's taking his time to think about the current situation." Juvia attempted to defend him, but it was difficult.

"He's had enough time. Meredy deserves an answer and soon." Jellal said while approaching the pinkette.

"I just want to get this over with. Not knowing is really frustrating." She said, hands placed on her stomach as she attempted not to stress herself too much.

"Shouldn't we discuss this somewhere else? I feel like it's disrespectful." Juvia told them and everyone suddenly remembered where they were.

"I doubt Ultear would mind." Gray said, remembering the last conversation he had had with Ultear, back during the Games.

* * *

 

_"So, great job at stopping Fairy Tail B from making any points." He told her as they were on the outskirts of Crocus, near the house where she had been staying with Jellal and Meredy._

_"You're welcome." She winked before a concerned expression came to her face. "So, tell me, what happened there?" He knew she was referring to his loss during the Hidden game._

_"I don't know. Those jerks from Raven Tail were targeting me, I guess." He shrugged and Ultear raised an eyebrow._

_"Are you sure that was all?" Before he could ask what she meant, she continued. "You seemed distracted."_

_"I wasn't." He protested, but she knew better than that._

_"Was it because of Juvia?" He saw that one coming._

_"Argh, why does everyone assume there's something going on between me and Juvia?" He complained and she laughed._

_"You two are too obvious, I just can't take it." She told him and he was confused._

_"What the hell do you mean?" Seeing his confusion, Ultear settled on shaking her head._

_"Nothing. I've been spending too much time with Meredy." She muttered, smiling. Gray decided to shake it off and change the subject._

_"Are you sure it's a good idea for you to be here? I mean, what if you get caught?" He asked, concerned._

_"We won't, we've been extremely careful." She reassured him._

_"But still… If you are, they won't be taking you to prison. From what I've heard, there's a price on your head, as well as Jellal's." He told her and fear crossed her expression before she relaxed._

_"I'm not worried, Gray." She said, smiling. "You gave me a second chance at living and there's no way I'm wasting that. I won't get caught."_

_"That's good to hear." He said before looking towards the city as the Fairy Tail signal was shot on the sky. "Well, that's my cue. If I'm not back soon, Erza will kill me."_

_"I doubt that. She's probably busy with Jellal now." A mischievous smirk appeared on her face. "Anyways, good night."_

_"Good night, Ultear. Be careful, please." They hugged rather awkwardly._

_"You too." She whispered before pulling apart. "And good luck during the Games. I'm sure you'll do great. " He thanked her, unaware that these were the last words she would ever say to him._

* * *

 

"Of course she wouldn't. She wanted us to live our lives, so she'd be happy." Meredy said, voice shaky.

"I know she would be proud of you, Meredy." Jellal gently told her, hands placed on her shoulders.

"Thank you." She whispered before they heard footsteps approaching. He quickly dropped his hands before putting the cape over his head to cover his face. Meanwhile Gray, Juvia and Erza took defensive stances.

"Who's there?" The ice mage called and they never would have guessed the answer.

"Easy, Gray, I come in peace." It was Lyon. He looked paler than they remembered and the bags beneath his eyes suggested a few sleepless nights had followed his encounter with Meredy.

"Where the hell have you been?" Gray asked him, harshly.

"As I told Meredy, I needed time to think." He told them before turning to the pinkette. "And I did. So, now, can I please talk to you?" She nodded wordlessly.

"We'll check out the beach." Juvia quickly said, taking Gray's hand and dragging him with her. The other ice mage barely looked at them, his eyes fixated on Meredy.

"Jellal, come on." Erza called him as she prepared to enter into the woods.

"I'm not leaving." He said, arms crossed.

"It's okay." Meredy gave him a reassuring look, but he simply stared at Lyon suspiciously.

"I don't trust him." He admitted and the ice mage smiled.

"I know you don't. But just remember the promise I made." A meaningful look passed between them. "I won't break it now."

"Alright, then. But I will be nearby. Call me if you need me." Jellal told Meredy, who looked confused.

"What promise are you talking about?" She curiously asked and he shrugged it off.

"Nothing important. I'll leave you two now." He replied quickly before turning around and leaving a puzzled and suspicious pinkette behind.

"I hate when he does that." She muttered in frustration before turning to Lyon. "I assume you won't tell me what it is either." He shook his head.

"As he said, it's not important. And I didn't come here to discuss Jellal." She sighed before nodding.

"Okay. So, start talking." He gulped under her stare, feeling even more nervous. There were only two ways this conversation could go and Lyon had a feeling she wouldn't agree with his proposal. He thought about leaving this for another day, but the memory of the promise he had made to Jellal prevented it.

* * *

 

_A few weeks before…_

_"She's gone." Meredy sobbed while refusing to let go of the body, even after Lyon and Jellal's many attempts to convince her to do so._

_"It's getting late." Jellal said, looking at the moon._

_"We should get out of here. It's not safe." Lyon urgently told him before glancing towards the broken girl._

_"I wish this didn't have to happen to her. Meredy's been through enough already." The blue haired man sorrowfully admitted._

_"I can tell. But I'm sure Ultear had good reasons for it." The ice mage replied._

_"She did." Just as Jellal said that, more dragons appeared. As the two man looked around cautiously, he turned to Lyon with urgency._

_"Get her out of here." He motioned towards Meredy with fear in his eyes._

_"What about you?" The ice mage asked._

_"I'll be fine, just keep her safe." Jellal replied before using his magic to block a few beams sent towards the pinkette. Lyon crossed the distance until her and knelt by her side._

_"Meredy." His heart broke once she looked at him, face filled with pain. "We have to go." He gently told her and she shook her head._

_"No, I can't...I can't leave her." A new flow of tears began as she tightly held onto Ultear._

_"If you stay here, you'll only get hurt and I know for a fact that's not what she would've wanted." His attempt to persuade her seemed to work as Meredy looked at him uncertainly._

_"Okay." She nodded at last before letting the body go. Lyon helped her stand, but her legs were shaking so he knew she wouldn't be able to walk. Without second thought, he placed his arms beneath her knees and pulled her up, pressed against his chest._

_"I'll take her to Lamia Scale's spot. It's safe there." He turned to he blue haired man._

_"I'm counting on you." Jellal replied and Lyon nodded. He knew these words had a deeper meaning, had seen just how much he cared about Meredy._

_"I promise you that I'll do everything I can to assure she remains unharmed." With that, he left the scene, Meredy safely wrapped in his arms._

* * *

 

_Present Day, on Tenrou Island…_

Zeref stood in front of the grave, an unusual pained look on his face. By his side, Mavis cast him a sympathetic smile.

"I know today's a hard day, which is why I'm here." She whispered and he nodded.

"Because even if you believe me to be a monster, you know that I'm not heartless." His black eyes bore into hers as she shook her head.

"I don't see you as a monster. You're just…broken." She told him gently and he smiled bitterly.

"Aren't we all?" The black wizard let out a sigh.

"Why are you doing this? Why can't you let go of your anger towards humanity?" Mavis decided to attempt to change his mind once again.

"It's not anger, Mavis. I just don't believe that humanity can be saved. We've done too much harm and punishment is necessary." He replied calmly and she frowned.

"I don't think that she would agree." The ghost pointed towards the grave and his face was filled with pain once again.

"I know she wouldn't." Another sigh as he looked away, trying to get rid of the memories that threatened to resurface. "But it doesn't matter now. She's gone and my decision has been made."

"Is there truly no way I can change your mind?" She attempted.

"I'm sorry, Mavis. I know you don't understand exactly why I'm doing this and perhaps it's not the right thing to do, but I won't be changing my mind." It was her turn to sigh.

"Sometimes man refuse to see reason, so sure of their own beliefs that they can't see what's right in front of them." He knew exactly what she was referring to and guilt filled his face.

"I assure you that's not the case." Zeref told her, firmly. "I do see you. I always did, even when you were gone."

"Please, just let this go. Allow yourself to feel something other than anger and pain." A ghostly hand touched his face, irradiating cold like death.

"I've done so and the lesson was learned. Love bring us nothing but pain." He removed her hand before kneeling by the grave and placing a bouquet of flowers. Dead flowers, because everything he touched died.

His attempts not to think about her failed as a memory came to mind.

_He was just a child back then, no more than 4 years old. They lay on the couch of their home, him on her lap as she entertained him by using her water magic to create bubbles._

_"Mamma, what is love?" He asked, catching her off guard._

_"Why do you ask, sweetheart?" She was curious about where he had heard the word._

_"I heard daddy and Igneel talking last night. He said that some things are worth more than love." The young boy replied and she frowned._

_"Did he?" A pensive look came across her face before she answered. "Well, I disagree. Love is the best thing that can happen to any of us."_

_"But what is it?" Zeref questioned, sitting up._

_"Love is something you feel in your heart." She explained, a hand touching her heart. "It brings you joy and makes you believe that anything's possible." His eyes widened._

_"That sounds great! I want that!" The woman laughed._

_"You already have it, baby." When he gave her a puzzled look, she smiled. "For example, when I make you the chocolate pancakes you adore, it's I love you. And it makes you happy, doesn't it?" He nodded._

_"Why does daddy think there's something better than love?" He asked after a few moments and she grew silent. The answer was unclear as of yet, but soon he would learn exactly how much his father actually valued love._

"I have to go now, Fairy Tail awaits me." Mavis said, breaking him from his thoughts.

"Thank you for coming." He sincerely told her and she smiled sadly.

"I hope someday you'll remember what she told you." She turned to the tombstone.

"I doubt that would change much." He warned and, with one last longing look, she disappeared.

"As if I could ever forget." He whispered once she was gone. "Your words are engraved into my mind, mother. Even if I no longer believe them." He cast a sad smile towards the grave, this time focusing on the words written on it: Laura Dragneel (in honor of my BFF), X335-X363.

400 years might have passed, but he would never forget her. After all, she had been the first person he loved and her death marked the first time he realized how much suffering love can bring.

* * *

 

**So, thoughts?**

**Did you like the Gruvia scenes here? Just a hint: all these references to Romeo and Juliet aren't mere coincidences.**

**What about Jerza? They're sort of together, just not officially. I hope you enjoyed his talk with Milliana, I thought it was important to have these two characters interact and I believe she would be willing to forgive him.**

**What are your thoughts on the Meredy/Porlyusica plot twist? I know it seems to have come out of no where, but it didn't. I was rewatching an old episode of Fairy Tail and an image of a younger Porlyusica gave me the idea. I thought this was the perfect way for Meredy to have some happiness in her life.**

**I told you that Ultear would make a grand appearance this chapter. Did you enjoy the visit to her grave and the flashbacks? Just to make clear, I'm assuming Ultear saved Meredy when she was around 16 and Meredy was 5.**

**Last, but not least, what did you think of Zeref and Mavis?**

**Next chapter: Growing Close, Falling Apart.**

**We'll have: the resolutions to Lyredy and GaLe, new info on Juliet and Layla Heartfilia, Gruvia and NaLu double date and…Oracion Seis. Are you excited to see their role in Connections?**

**Let's try 600 hits for chapter 19.**


	19. Growing Close, Falling Apart

**Wow, that was fast. Seriously, I didn't expect to get so many hits in just a few days. Thanks, you guys!! :)**

**So, now that there are only 5 chapters left I believe I should warn you that there's been a MAJOR CHANGE OF PLANS!!** **It all started with a suggestion from my cousin a few weeks ago. She advised me to divide this story in two so that instead of a really long story, I have two "short" ones.**

 **At first, I didn't like the idea of splitting** **Connections** **, but as I came across my plans for it, I realized it was for the best. So I'm going to write another story, a sequel you may say. The first few chapters have already been planned and so far I've settled on the title** **" Demons"** **.  I hope you'll be able to enjoy it as much as this one.**

**Now let's get on with chapter 19. Happy reading!**

* * *

Gotta Go My Own Way-High School Musical II

It's so hard to say  
But I've gotta do what's best for me  
You'll be ok...

I've got to move on and be who I am  
I just don't belong here  
I hope you understand  
We might find our place in this world someday  
But at least for now  
I gotta go my own way

* * *

_Many years ago…_

_"I can't believe this." Juliet Heartfilia whispered as she stared at her younger sister. Layla lay in the hospital bed, her right hand wrapped in a bandage while the left one held a package of ice to her swollen cheeks. She looked like she had suffered an attack, which is exactly what Juliet had been told._

_"I can't either. I thought he was a nice guy." The blonde girl replied, looking down._

_"What?" The bluenette asked, Layla's words having brought her out of her thoughts._

_"He took me by surprise, I would've never guessed he would hurt me." A disbelieving look came to Juliet's face._

_"He wouldn't." She whispered before giving her sister a firm look. "Why are you saying it was Daniel? Did father put you up to this?"_

_"Of course not! Do you think I would lie about this?' Layla pressed the package closer to her aching face._

_"I don't know!" The older sister exclaimed before crossing her arms and beginning to pace the room._

_"I'm so sorry, Juliet. I know you didn't want to believe me and father, but this is who he really is." It was in that moment that Juliet remembered when Daniel had told her those same words, about her father. It was shortly after her mother's death, when her father's true nature and intentions had been revealed to her._

_"No, you're wrong." The bluenette whispered, looking down, before turning to her sister."This wasn't Daniel's doing, I know it."_

_"Juliet, you can't actually…" The blonde was interrupted._

_"I believe him." Juliet firmly said before uncrossing her arms._

_"So you're calling me a liar?" Layla asked, disbelief clear in her face._

_"Yes." Her face was filled with hurt."But I know you didn't come up with this, father surely manipulated you."_

_"That's not true!" Layla attempted to defend their father, to no avail._

_"I know exactly who he is, Layla. He proved it when mom died, when he let her die." Juliet accused, her face filled with anger._

_"He just wants what's best for you." The blonde attempted after sighing deeply._

_"No, he wants what's best for himself." The bluenette muttered before turning around and walking towards the door._

_"Juliet, please." The young girl begged and Juliet looked at her, clearly distressed._

_"I have nothing more to say to you. But what you did won't be forgotten and I don't think I could never ever forgive you." Layla began crying._

_"I'm sorry. So sorry." Juliet gave her a pained look._

_"So am I. Goodbye, Layla." With these last words, she walked out, closing the door behind her, as well as her heart._

* * *

It took Levy a moment to register what was happening and she immediately started to freak out. It was just so unlikely and unimaginable for Gajeel to suddenly be kissing her.

She couldn't deny that she had wanted it to happen, though. The petit bluenette had thought about it many times when she attempted to gather her growing feelings towards him. It was strange to imagine that the same man who attacked and humiliated her once had managed to capture her heart, but she couldn't deny it any longer.

Lucy had always encouraged her to act on her feelings after sensing if Gajeel felt the same, but the dragon slayer was so closed off and always avoided the topic of romantic feelings, so it had been hard to know how he felt.

There had been many signs that he might return her feelings, but Levy had ignored them, not wanting to have false hope in case it turned out to be false. However, now that he was kissing her, she couldn't help but to feel hopeful.

"Okay, that didn't happen." Gajeel whispered after quickly breaking apart from the kiss. Seeing as she hadn't replied to it, he came to the conclusion that it had been the wrong thing to do and cursed himself. Why the hell did he kiss her?

"So you want to pretend that you didn't just kiss me?" She raised an eyebrow and he stepped back, looking shocked.

"Yeah. It never happened, so we don't need to talk about it." She rolled her eyes before an idea came to mind. After taking a deep breath, Levy crawled a few steps until they were close again and placed both hands on his shoulders, attempting to ignore the pain from all the movements.

"Then let's not talk." She whispered and his eyes widened, she could tell he was getting even more nervous.

This time she was the one who leaned in and kissed him, taking him completely by surprise. It didn't take him long to reply as his arms wrapped around her waist and he brought her closer.

They were lost in the moment, unaware that the door to the infirmary was being opened. It wasn't until there was a loud scream that the couple jerked apart and stared wide eyed towards the two people by the door, who looked shocked to see them.

"What the hell are you doing?" Miss. Porlyusica yelled, face contorting with anger.

"My goodness." Wendy covered her mouth to suppress a surprised gasp.

"Nothing. We're doing nothing." Gajeel nervously muttered as he stepped away from Levy and stood up.

"Sorry for…intruding." The young girl shyly said while the healer still glared at them.

"You're supposed to stay in bed, didn't you hear me?" She scolded Levy while approaching her, seeing as Gajeel was frozen in place.

"Sorry. I was just hungry, so we were going to get breakfast." The bluenette attempted, but the older woman simply cast her an unimpressed look while helping her stand up and then sit on the bed.

"Should I come back later or…." Wendy started saying, looking between the three adults.

"No, you can stay, Wendy." Porlyusica replied before turning to Gajeel. "The same can't be said for you. There can be no… distractions while I'm examining her."

"It's okay, Miss. Porlyusica. He can stay." Levy told her. She knew that if he left, they would never talk about what happened.

"No, I have to go anyways. Get breakfast." He replied way too quickly. Before she could protest any further, he disappeared without saying another word to her.

"Men." The healer rolled her eyes once he left the room before signaling for Wendy to close the door so that they could get this over with. The last thing she needed on top of finding her grand daughter was still alive was to have to deal with romantic drama between idiotic teenagers.

* * *

_A few hours later..._

"We've been here for 3 minutes and you haven't said anything." Meredy said, breaking the silence.

"Right, sorry." Lyon muttered before recomposing himself. "So, after doing some thinking, I've come to the conclusion that there's only one way to handle this…situation." He gestured towards her stomach and she placed a hand over it.

"Which is?" He gulped once more before clearing his throat.

"I can't stay away." She was taken aback.

"What?" He approached her as he spoke.

"I won't lie to you, Meredy. This has me absolutely freaking out and, truthfully, if I was still the same man that Gray encountered back on Galuna Island, I would've certainly run away."

"You're stalling." She accused, crossing her arms and he stopped.

"I'm just trying to explain my decision." Before she could once again ask about it, he continued. "After all, it isn't what I'd normally do, but I've changed." He stopped avoiding her eyes and held her gaze. "It started when I joined Lamia Scale and began letting go of my past, but it was meeting you that made me the person I am now."

"I think you're pushing it too far." She commented and he laughed.

"I had a feeling you'd say that. It's been clear from the start that you're not exactly the most romantic person."

"I don't believe in romance." Meredy stated. "At least not when it comes to us."

"That's too bad." Lyon said, still smiling. "But I'm sure I can change your mind over time." She furrowed her brows in confusion.

"What exactly are you saying?" He took both of her hands in his and made his proposition.

"I'm saying that we should try, being together. I know it's not ideal, but I do believe it could work." She stared at him in disbelief.

"Are you serious?" Lyon nodded before squeezing her hands.

"You're not alone in this, Meredy. This is my child too and I'm not going to abandon either of you." Surprised couldn't begin to describe what she was feeling. Meredy had been so certain that he would want to keep his distance and have nothing to do with her, but there he was, offering to date her.

"I wasn't expecting this." She whispered, letting go of his hands.

"To tell you the truth, neither was I. But I talked to a friend who understands this better and she showed me how staying away wasn't the right choice for either of us." He placed an unsure hand on top of her stomach. "This baby deserves to have both parents in his life." She understood then why he had suggested that they should try dating. It was exactly what she had suspected and she sighed.

"That's why you want to try… dating, because you think that's what best for her." Her hand was placed on top of his and Lyon raised an eyebrow.

"Her?" He asked, tone teasing.

"But it isn't. Having two parents together when they don't love each other isn't going to help her." His face dropped as she removed his hand. "She deserves better than this."

"So you're denying my proposal?" He questioned, feeling a little insulted. He had known she might not agree, but to have her so clearly declare that she had no feelings towards him hurt.

"Yes. We don't need to be together for you to be a part of her life. Even less so when we're clearly not a good match." Lyon sighed.

"You don't need to reinforce how you feel about the idea of us, it's abundantly clear." He told her dryly and she gave him a sympathetic smile.

"It's not that I don't like you, Lyon. You're just not ready to love me and I'm not ready to jump into a relationship either." He frowned, not linking her choice of words.

"What do you mean I'm not ready?" She was the one who sighed before using her magic to link them together. He stared at the pink bracelet on his arm with curiosity and suspicion.

"It's a linking spell, a type of lost magic. It allows those who have it to sense the other's emotions." His eyes widened.

"What?" An apologizing look came upon Meredy's face.

"I'm sorry I used it without asking for your permission, but I had to." She paused and took a deep breath. "I needed to show you the proof that you're not ready."

"Which is?" He asked and she closed her eyes.

"This overwhelming love that you feel deep inside. I know it's not meant for me and I'm okay with that." Lyon stared at her in shock. "But you need to stop lying to yourself and accept the fact that you're not over Juvia yet."

"I don't know what else to do." He admitted, looking in the direction Juvia had gone. "I tried so hard to move on and I thought it had worked, but it's clear now that it hasn't."

"Moving on isn't easy." Meredy gave him a sad smile. "All you need is more time and maybe being away from her might help."

"Maybe. I've already tried watching her be happy with Gray and it didn't work, so the next logical step is to distance myself."

"You should stay away from me as well. My presence in your life seems to have only confused your feelings." He frowned and shook his head.

"No, I already said I don't want that." Meredy gently touched his face.

"But you need it. You need to be alone and so do I." She let it fall.

"I guess you're right." He looked unsure and unhappy, which was understandable.

"Don't worry, I'm not shutting you out when it comes to the baby. I'll let you know when I have any appointments so you can be there." Meredy quickly added.

"Thank you, Meredy, for showing me the truth." She nodded while giving him another sad smile before turning around and walking away. Lyon was left behind, once again wondering when his heart would stop being broken.

* * *

"I love the beach, it's so beautiful!" Juvia said while they walked, but Gray was barely paying attention, his mind too focused on Lyon's sudden reappearance and what it meant.

"What's wrong?" She stopped when he didn't reply, looking worried.

"I was just thinking about Lyon." He admitted and understanding crossed her face.

"What do you think he'll do?" The bluenette asked and he frowned.

"I don't know. If this was before, I'd be certain that he'd run away, but it's clear he's changed." The ice mage told her.

"So you think he'll tell Meredy that he wants to be with her?" She suggested, excited with the prospect of those two hooking up. It was clear there was something between them. After all, neither Meredy nor Lyon were the type of people to just sleep with strangers for no reason.

"That seems like something he would do, Lyon has always taken duty seriously and I can see him suggesting they try dating for the sake of the child." Juvia's response was cut off by a loud scream and both turned back to see Lucy and Natsu walking towards them.

The blonde held onto an envelope and looked nervous while the dragon slayer had an arm wrapped around her shoulder and was whispering something in her ear, to which she nodded.

"What are they doing here?" Gray asked, confused. Last he had heard, Natsu was going on a mission with Happy and Lucy would stay with Levy.

"Hey, guys." The pinkette greeted them cheerfully and Juvia returned his smile.

"Good afternoon." She looked between them expectantly and Lucy spoke.

"So, I need to…hmm.. talk to you, Juvia." The bluenette nodded.

"Sure. We'll be right back." She gave her boyfriend a quick kiss on the cheek before walking away. Natsu began talking to Gray as Lucy followed her.

* * *

_At the Fairy Tail guild…_

"Thank you, Wendy. I love it!" Chelia Blendy told the young dragon slayer as she held onto her new swimsuit. She had come to visit Fairy Tail as she often did since they had become good friends during the Games.

"I'm glad you like it." The young girl replied with a smile. "But I can't take all the credit, Carla helped me choose it." She frowned when the exceed barely looked at them.

"Are you okay, Carla?" Happy asked, having stayed behind while Natsu and Lucy went to the beach.

"What?" The white cat looked around in confusion. "Oh, yes, I am. Everything's fine."

"Are you sure? You seem distracted these days." Wendy pointed out and Carla forced a smile.

"I'm sorry if I seem so, I guess I've been more tired than usual." They believed her, since she had been staying with Levy for the past few days so it was reasonable that she'd be exhausted.

"I think you need a break. How about we go to the beach?" Chelia suggested and Wendy nodded.

"That's a great idea!" She looked excitedly towards her exceed. "What do you say, Carla?"

"I think I'll pass. I could use some rest now that Levy's awake, so I guess I'll head back to Fairy Hills." The young girl gave her an understanding look.

"Okay, then. I'll see you later." They shared a quick hug before Wendy left with Chelia. As Happy said something about going to meet Natsu and also left, Carla sighed.

She didn't like lying to them, but she was still unsure. The vision had been clear, but was it real? After all, not all of her visions came true. Perhaps she should do some research about clairvoyance to learn more about this power. The exceed face palmed as she wondered why she hadn't done it sooner. Oh, well, no use in dwelling on that now.

Reaching the library was easy, in only a few minutes Carla spotted the familiar book shelves and she was relieved to find no one else was there. She did a quick search through the topics before finding what she was looking for.

"Interesting." She had been reading the book for a few minutes when the sound of footsteps made her freeze. A shadow was cast over the library door and something told Carla she should hide. Deciding to follow her instinct, the exceed hid the book underneath a few that were on one of the tables before hiding between two red books on a nearby bookshelf.

The shadow soon revealed itself to be Silver Fullbuster, Gray's father. She wondered why he was there before recalling how he had spent quite some time in the library ever since the reunion with his son. Silver walked towards one of the tables before sitting down and picking a book that was also hidden underneath others.

Carla felt a wave of magic before he began reading it, which surprised her. She recognized that spell as the one used to sense another's presence in the room. Why would he use it? Luckily, it didn't apply to animals, so she was in the clear.

"Great. Time is running out and I have't found anything." He whispered as he flipped through the book.

"I need to be fast, their lives depend on it." Whose lives? Did he mean Gray and Juvia? Carla knew she had to get a good look at the book he was reading, so she summoned her wings and quietly flew above Silver.

"Memory potions?" She whispered as she read the chapter title. Was Silver trying to regain his memories of the past 10 years? It made sense, after all it was clear that the people who had captured him and Juvia were dangerous. But why was he doing it in secret instead of asking his son for help?

"Something strange's going on." It seemed as if Silver heard her this time, because he suddenly froze before standing up and looking around wildly.

Knowing that staying there any longer was a bad idea, Carla flew away as fast as she could, determined to tell Gray and Juvia about Silver. Her gut told her that something was wrong and she knew better than to ignore it.

* * *

"So, what's this about?" Juvia asked once they were a safe distance from the boys.

"First of all, I need to apologize." The bluenette furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"What for?" She inquired and Lucy took a deep breath.

"I lied to you. Well, actually it was more of an omission, but anyways, I hid something from you."

"Okay." Juvia was getting more confused with each word.

"I know I should've told you sooner, but I saw how happy you were with Gray and Silver's return. I didn't want to mess that up." Seeing her friend's clear distress and guilt, Juvia smiled gently.

"It's alright, Lucy. I understand." She reassured the blonde. "But what is it that you were hiding? Is it related to this envelope?" She pointed towards the white envelope in Lucy's arms.

"Yes, it is." There was a pause as the celestial spirit recomposed herself. "About a week ago, when I went back to my old home, I found something."

"Your old house? How could this relate to me?" The water mage was back to confused.

"Juvia, do you know what was your mother's maiden name?" The question caught her completely off guard.

"What? Why?" Lucy sighed before answering.

"We found pictures in the house, of a woman named Juliet Heartfilia." Juvia's eyes widened.

"Impossible." She whispered staring at the envelope. Lucy opened it and removed the same photo of Juliet and Layla Heartfilia that they had found days before.

"It's dated back to X761." The blonde explained and Juvia nodded mutely.

"She was only 16." She swallowed hard as the truth became clear. "Neither she not my father told me who she was before or who my grandparents were. But then again, I was so young when they passed away."

"I assumed so." The celestial wizard gave her a sympathetic look.

"You didn't know either, before you found the pictures." It wasn't a question, but Lucy nodded anyways.

"It seems as if someone went through great lengths to hide the existence of your mom as a Heartfilia. The pictures I have here were hidden behind a painting and secured by magic spells." A few minutes passed as Juvia looked through the other pictures. All had Juliet Heartfilia written on the back, so it was impossible to deny that it was her mother.

"It's so hard to believe. I would never picture her as a noblewoman." The bluenette admitted.

"It's hard to picture my mother having a sister that she never told me about as well." Lucy added.

"So this means that you and I…." The celestial wizard nodded.

"Yep. We're cousins. How crazy is that?" Juvia stared at her laughing friend in shock.

"Too crazy." She replied before her face turned to a smile. "But I'm glad to know I haven't lost all of my family."

"I am too." Lucy replied before they hugged. Whatever happened between their parents, they wouldn't make the same mistake of shutting each other out.

* * *

_Back at Fairy Tail..._

"What are you going to do?" Panther Lily asked as him and Gajeel stood outside the guild a few hours after the events at the infirmary. The dragon slayer had confided in him about what happened and they were trying to figure out the right course of action.

"I don't know." Gajeel replied after letting out a groan. "Damn it, I can't believe I kissed her. Now she's going to have expectations and I can't deal with that."

"Maybe it's for the best. Now she knows how you feel." Lily attempted and he glared.

"No, she doesn't. Even I don't know how that!" He protested, making his friend sigh.

"Then you'd better figure it out." Gajeel glared once again.

"I can't think about this now." He crossed his arms while considering the situation. He needed a break from stress because this whole thing with Levy had only served to drive him crazy. "I need a break."

"So what, you'll run away like a coward?" The exceed asked, a disapproving frown on his face.

"I'm not running away, I just need some time to myself instead of constantly worrying." The dragon slayer replied. He knew leaving wasn't the best decision, specially since Levy had woken up only a few hours before, but he just couldn't stay there.

So he went back inside the guild and asked Mira to give him paper and a feather so that he could write a letter to Juvia explaining his whereabouts. He knew she wouldn't be happy with his decision, but she couldn't just dictate every detail of his life.

* * *

_Back at the Beach..._

After the hug, the two cousins spent a few minutes talking about their discovery and their parents. Juvia explained everything she knew about her mother while Lucy conjured theories on why Juliet had been pretty much banished from the Heartfilia Family.

When they touched the topic of the grave she had found, Juvia was immensely confused. It just didn't make any sense for the date on that grave to be different from the actual day her mother had died. Something had definitely happened and the two of them decided to seek out the truth.

"Looks like our time's up." Lucy whispered as she stared at something behind the bluenette's neck. They had just agreed to return to the Heartfilia Mansion the next morning to look for answers when she spotted Gray and Natsu, clearly in the middle of a fight.

"We can't leave them alone for one second." Juvia complained, rolling her eyes at the boys and Lucy crossed her arms.

"Silly boys. We'd better go there before this fight escalates." The water mage nodded as they began walking towards their boyfriends.

"Cut it out, you two." The blonde yelled and the two men immediately froze.

"We're not doing anything." Gray quickly said before stepping away from Natsu and giving his girlfriend an apologizing look.

"Sure you aren't." She whispered, giving him an unimpressed look as she approached him.

"Sorry." He muttered once she was by his side and she rolled her eyes before wrapping her arms around his middle.

"It's okay. Some things just never change." As Gray wrapped an arms around her shoulders, Natsu didn't have such luck with his girlfriend.

"Don't even." Lucy put a hand up as the dragon slayer moved to hug her and he pouted.

"Come on, Luce. No one's hurt." She glared at him.

"Speak for yourself, I think you dislocated my shoulder with that last punch." Gray complained while rubbing his shoulder. Natsu's retort was interrupted by the sound of footsteps as Meredy came out of the woods and walked towards them.

"Oh oh. This does not look good." Lucy whispered, eyeing the pinkette. Her face showed that her encounter with Lyon hadn't gone so well.

"I'm gonna kill that bastard." The ice mage angrily whispered and Juvia rolled her eyes once again before stepping away from Gray so that she could approach Meredy.

"Hey, did everything go okay?" A smile appeared on the young girl's face, but it was clearly forced.

"Yes, it went fine." She replied, looking uncomfortable under everyone's stares.

"Do you want to talk about it?" The water mage already had an idea of her answer.

"Not right now. I just… I need to be alone for a while." Juvia nodded, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Okay. Take as much time as you need." Meredy nodded before turning around and walking away.

* * *

"What was that all about?" Lucy wondered after Meredy had left.

"Did Lyon do something?" Even though they weren't aware of Meredy's pregnancy, the couple knew that something was going on between her and Lyon. According to Lucy, they had spotted the two together back in Crocus and then once in the park, so they knew there was something between them.

"It's none of your business." Gray warned just as two figures approached them. Or rather, flew towards them.

"There you are, buddy. I was starting to miss you." Natsu happily greeted the blue cat, who smiled before they high fived.

"Did you two come here together?" Juvia asked, giving them a sly smile and Carla blushed as she stopped.

"Of course not. Just because we chose the same location doesn't mean we came here together." She protested, making Happy's face fall.

"You're so mean." He muttered and the humans laughed.

"So, what brings you here then, Carla?" Lucy asked. It was unusual for the exceed not to be by Wendy's side even though she had warmed up to other members of the guild.

"There are two reasons. The first is this." Everyone took notice of the envelope she was carrying with Juvia's name written on it.

"Whose is it from?" The bluenette questioned as Carla handed it to her.

"Gajeel. He was in a rush with Panther Lily, I think they went on a mission." The water mage frowned, confused.

"Are you sure?" She asked and Lucy also frowned.

"Levy woke up just this morning. Why on earth would he leave her now?" She wondered, upset.

"I'm sure he had good reasons." Juvia replied as she opened the letter and stepped away for a moment so she could read it.

Meanwhile, Carla spoke once more, this time turning to Gray. "The other reason I'm here is your father."

"What about him?" The ice mage instantly tensed.

"While I was in the library, I saw he was researching memory spells. Did he tell you about it?" He shook his head.

"No, he didn't." He frowned.

"But it makes sense that he would, right? I mean, he probably wants to find the people who kidnapped him and Juvia." Natsu said and Gray nodded.

"Yeah, but why would he keep it a secret?" Before anyone could suggest reasons, Juvia let out an annoyed scream.

"I'm gonna kill him." She glared at the letter in her hands for a moment before turning around and facing her friends.

"What did he say?" Lucy asked, curious.

"He's an idiot." The water mage angrily replied, kneading the letter. "When he comes back, he'd better be prepared to get an earful, because he's not getting away this time."

"Why are you so mad?" Natsu wondered, curious.

"Why don't you see for yourself?" Juvia shoved the letter into his hands with a force that had him gasping in pain. Gray eyed her worriedly before everyone gathered around Natsu so that they could read the letter.

"The hell?" The ice mage said.

"He's in trouble alright." The dragon slayer said, laughing.

"There isn't an explanation to why he left, all it says is that he'll tell you everything when he comes back." Lucy was confused.

"I hate when he does that." Juvia sighed. "No explanation he gives will make up for running away now of all times."

"Well, he's gone already so there's nothing we can do." Gray told her.

"You know what we should do?" Happy said, making everyone look at him.

"I know what you're thinking and I agree 100%." Natsu excitedly said.

"What?" Lucy asked, impatient.

"Food!" The two shouted in unison, making everyone raise their eyebrows.

"Is that really all that you can think about?" Lucy asked them, but they barely paid attention as they happily discussed what they'd be eating.

"Those two idiots aside, I am kind of hungry." Gray said and Juvia nodded in agreement.

"We should get something to eat, then."

* * *

After Carla left to search for Wendy, the five of them walked along the beach and towards the nearby park where Lyon and Meredy had their meetings.

Along the way, Juvia filled Gray in on the revelation regarding her mother and Lucy's. He was deeply surprised to learn that they were related and sisters nonetheless! But it wasn't nearly as crazy as learning that she had lived in Antartica and suffered Deliora's attack, so the shock wore off soon.

By the time they reached their favorite restaurant, everyone was starving. They wanted nothing more than to sit down and have some delicious caramade franks, but that proved impossible once Juvia and Lucy spotted a familiar head of dark pink hair.

"Oh, no." The water mage whispered.

"We should go somewhere else." The blonde told the two confused men.

"What?" Gray loudly asked and the bluenette shushed him.

"Not so loud. She'll hear us." She whispered and he raised an eyebrow.

"Too late." The celestial wizard said before putting on a smile as Sherry stood up from her table and approached them, her fiancée not far behind.

"Hey, girls. I'm so glad to spot you here!" The pinkette happily greeted them.

"Yes, it's been a while." Lucy said, ignoring her boyfriend's widened eyes as he noticed Sherry's large stomach.

"Wait, you're pregnant?" He dumbly asked and she looked confused.

"Didn't you know? It was on the cover of Sorcerer Weekly two weeks ago." Juvia and Gray laughed.

"Don't mind him, he probably forgot, as usual." The ice mage teased and Natsu glared.

"That's not true!" He protested. Before a fight could erupt, Juvia spoke.

"So, how are you doing? Everything okay with the baby?" Her concern was real, though she and Sherry didn't know each other very well, they had become somewhat friends over the past few weeks.

"Yes, we're both fine." The pinkette replied, an arm resting on her stomach. "In fact, it seems like he's excited that you're here."

"Is he kicking again?" Ren asked, looking a little worried.

"It's fine, darling. It's normal." Juvia shyly approached her.

"Can I feel it?" It was no secret that she loved babies and children.

"Of course. Here." Sherry guided her hand to the spot where the baby kicked hard.

"He's strong." The water mage said and the mother-to-be proudly smiled. "That's my boy."

"So, I'll go get lunch before Natsu loses it. What do you want, Juvia?" Lucy asked, sensing her boyfriend's impatience as he kept glancing towards the sandwiches being passed out to people.

"Thanks. Gray and I will have two caramades." Juvia told her and she nodded before the couple left.

* * *

"Now that they're gone, I need to speak to the both of you." Sherry said before sitting down on the nearest table. Ren sat by her side while the confused couple sat in front of them.

"What about?" Gray asked.

"Lyon." They should have seen that one coming. "He's been…weird these past few days."

"How weird?" Juvia asked, curious.

"Well, he's been asking me a lot of questions about my pregnancy and making me picture scenarios in which Ren and I weren't together." She paused and squeezed her fiancée's hand.

"Do you know why?" He asked them and the couple shared a look.

"We might." Juvia replied after a few moments. "But it's not really our place to talk about it."

"I understand." Sherry said, nodding. "I was just worried. He's never shown much interest in my pregnancy. You know what? I think he's dating someone."

"Come on, Sherry. The man clearly told you that he's not seeing anyone." Ren rolled his eyes.

"What makes you think he is?" Juvia asked, curious to how Sherry had figured it out. According to Meredy and Lyon, they had been extremely careful not to be seen by his guild mates.

"I've known Lyon for years. He's never one to disappear, but he's been spending less and less time at the guild." The pinkette crossed her arms. "He's not the best liar either. Al those lame excuses he gave when I tried to set him up with someone the past few weeks are too obvious."

"Women. Why can't you just let him be?" Ren asked and her answer was cut off as Natsu and Lucy arrived.

"So, what did we miss?" The blonde asked, staring curiously between them.

"Nothing." Juvia quickly said and Lucy shrugged before placing the caramades on the table and sitting down.

"Bon Apetit." Dinner was served and Gray and Juvia were glad to have a distraction so that they didn't need to manufacture any lies about Lyon. In the back of their minds, they worried for the ice mage while wondering what had happened between him and Meredy.

* * *

_Meanwhile, near the Magic Council building in Era…_

Jellal stood against the stone walls of the building, looking around for Dorenbolt. There was no one in sight, but he still wore his blue cape just for precaution. After all, being so close to the Magic Council when you're a fugitive is never a good idea.

After what seemed like hours, but was truthfully less than 45 minutes, the agent finally appeared.

"Good afternoon." Jellal greeted his somewhat ally.

"Are you ready to do this?" Dorenbolt asked and he nodded before closing his eyes and concentrating. In seconds his projection had appeared, but this time it was disguised as a guard, with a mask covering the face so no one would know it was him.

"How are we going to proceed?" He curiously asked and the projection imitated him.

"I've arranged a meeting with Cobra with the permission from Lahar. It was easy to convince him and since he's the head of one of the Custody Enforcement Units, no one questions his word."

"Good work." Jellal praised, making him frown.

"That was the easy part. The hard one will be getting you in there without making anyone suspicious." After letting out a sigh, the agent nodded once again before following the path towards the entrance of the building, the projection close behind.

* * *

"Look who's here. I was starting to miss you, agent." Cobra greeted Dorenbolt with a sly smile he ignored.

"I see you haven't changed one bit since the Games." The agent replied and the wizard shrugged.

"Nah, change is for the weak. If we lose who we are, we lose everything." He said and Dorenbolt sighed.

"I didn't come here to hear nonsense." He muttered and Cobra's smile enlarged.

"I know exactly why you're here. You came for information on Tartarus." He stood up and walked towards the bars. Upon spotting the guard just behind Dorenbolt, he raised an eyebrow. "And who's this? Your bodyguard?"

"No, but I think you remember me, Cobra." Jellal's projection removed his mask, revealing his face. Dorenbolt had made sure that the cameras in that area wouldn't work so that no one would come rushing in to arrest him. They only had a few minutes, though.

"I gotta admit that I didn't see this one coming." Cobra was still smirking. "Never thought you'd return to prison."

"He's not returning." Dorenbolt said and an understanding look came to his face.

"I see. You must be really desperate if you decided to ask for Jellal's help of all people." He raised an eyebrow in the agent's direction.

"We don't have much time." The other man replied. "Tell us what you know."

"And what do I get in return?" Cobra inquired, making the agent sigh once again.

"What do you want?" Jellal asked, having an idea of the answer.

"You know what I want and I know you're never giving it to me, so you can forget it." In a moment of anger, Dorenbolt jumped forward and grabbed his shirt.

"Listen to me. I'm in no mood for games. You're going to tell me everything you have on Tartarus unless you wish to die here." Jellal's eyes widened, this wasn't part of the plan.

"I won't talk until you release the Seis." Cobra stubbornly replied.

"Easy, Dorenbolt. I doubt threatening him will help." The blue haired man placed a hand on Dorenbolt's shoulder.

"We can't just free the Oracion Seis." He protested, still not letting go of Cobra.

"Of course you can. I know breaking us out would be a piece of cake if Jellal was there to help." He told them. "Besides, you want to know what they're planning, don't you?"

"How can we trust a word you'll say?" Dorenbolt asked, suspicious.

"Look at me." Cobra raised his arms, which were handcuffed. "I'm rotting in this place and I know if I give you the wrong info, you're just going to put me back in my cell. So I'll be honest, I promise."

"He's telling the truth." The blue haired man said, but the agent still looked conflicted.

"How do you know?" A smile came to Jellal's face.

"I've kept an eye on Cobra back when he was at the Tower of Heaven. I know when he's lying." Cobra's expression changed to pain for a moment as unpleasant memories crossed his mind.

"See? You can trust my word." Seeing as Dorenbolt still seemed unwilling to agree, he chose a new strategy.

"Tell you what, I'll give you a little tip, on the house." He smirked once the agent finally let him go and stepped back a bit. "No one in Tartarus is remotely human. They're all demons from the book of Zeref." Silence fell upon them as the two men analyzed this new info.

This wasn't good news. If they were anything like Deliora, then Fiore might be in greater danger than Jellal could've ever predicted. He needed to warn Erza and her friends, soon.

* * *

**Next chapter** **will cover Sherry and Ren's wedding, so there'll be a time jump. You can expect scenes with most of the couples, the return of some characters and the full explanations for what happens with Oracion Seis. I'll also introduce a few plots that will be deeply explored in the sequel, so pay good attention to those.**

**Can we try 680 hits for chapter 20?**


	20. The Calm Before The Storm

**Hey, people. Sorry this chapter's so late, it's been a while since I checked the website.  Buy answers, here's chapter 20.**

**There's A LOT going on here, so pay good attention. Some of the plots are old, but some are new ones that I'm hyping up for when I write the sequel.**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

Love Will Find A Way-Lion King II

I was so afraid, now I realize  
Love is never wrong and so it never dies  
There's a perfect world shining in your eyes

And if only they could feel it too  
The happiness I feel with you  
They'd know love will find a way  
Anywhere we go, we're home  
If we are there together  
Like dark turning into day  
Somehow we'll come through  
Now that I've found you  
Love will find a way

* * *

_3 weeks later, at Aukani Resort..._

"Please tell me this is a nightmare" Natsu complained while he stood by Gray's side near the white tent.

"Copy that." The ice mage replied.

"I'm starting to wish that I wasn't invited." Gajeel said, frowning. The three of them watched as people ran around the beach like maniacs, trying to get everything ready before the big moment.

"I had no idea weddings were so complicated." Gray said and the iron dragon slayer laughed.

"Just wait until it's your turn, I'm sure Juvia will drive you crazy with her wedding plans." The ice mage frowned, making the other two laugh.

"What the hell are you boys doing?" Their smiles fell once they spotted an angry looking Lucy wearing the ridiculous gown Sherry had assigned to her bridesmaids.

"Hmmm... We're... waiting?" Natsu lamely said and her eyes narrowed.

"You're not even ready! Go change, Sherry's going to lose it if she sees you like this." She pointed towards their normal clothings instead of the suits they were supposed to be wearing.

"I think she lost it already." Gray replied, remembering how the pinkette had spent a great deal of the morning yelling at everyone.

"Let's not make it worse." Lucy told them just as Juvia showed up.

"I think I'm losing my mind." She complained and her boyfriend smiled sympathetically.

"What did she do now?" The blonde asked and the bluenette sighed.

"She kicked me out of the tent, said I wasn't helping." She crossed her arms over her chest. "It's her loss, but at least I don't have to deal with her craziness anymore."

"Who knew brides could be so insane?" Natsu put in and Lucy sighed.

"Sherry's worse because she's pregnant. That just makes her more stressed and crazy." The sound of bells ringing made the two ladies widen their eyes.

"We gotta go!" Before another word could be shared, they were rushing towards the huge white tent, set on checking if everything was in order since the wedding was supposed to start in less than an hour.

* * *

_Over one hour later..._

All the members of Fairy Tail, Blue Pegasus, Lamia Scale, Mermaid Heel, Sabertooth and Quatro Cerberus were reunited in the huge tent near Aukani Resort. They anxiously awaited for the moment that Sherry would come so that the wedding ceremony could be over and the party could begin. They had waited far too long, seeing as the wedding had been delayed by a few days.

Just as they began to lose their patience, the wedding march began playing and the tent was opened to reveal Jenny and Hibiki, respectively the maid of honor and the best man. She wore a different dress than the bridesmaids, it was lilac coloured instead of pink and didn't look as hideous.

Next to come were Chelia and Eve, followed closely by Lucy and Itchia (the blonde hadn't been too excited about being partened up with the older man, but there was nothing she could do when he was one of the best men). The last pairing to appear before Sherry and Jura (he'd been chosen to take her to the altar, since her parents had died years before) was Juvia and Lyon.

They had been assigned as partners long ago, when things were still simple. However, much had changed since the day Lyon had asked Sherry to choose Juvia as a bridesmaid and needless to say, both parties were uncomfortable. Taking out the fact that he had been avoiding her for the past few weeks, the issue with Meredy only made things more awkward between them.

The pink haired girl had been staying with Juvia in Fairy Hills and neither she nor Lyon had told anyone what happened on the beach weeks before. All the water mage knew was that Lyon had decided to take more jobs and had distanced himself from all of them and, though she didn't think it was the best solution, it seemed to have done him good.

When he had returned from his latest mission about a week before and had swung by the Fairy Tail guild since Meredy had an appointment, Juvia had noticed he seemed much happier and lighter. When he greeted her, it wasn't with the same forced smile and clear tension, instead it seemed his time away had relaxed him and she was glad for that.

"Oops, sorry." THe water mage muttered when she accidentally tripped on the carpet, almost falling if his arms hadn't held her. Lyon shook his head while smiling and she quickly recomposed herself, hoping no one had seen that embarrassing moment.

When she passed by Gray, Natsu and their friends in Fairy Tail, she cast them smiles that they returned and the ice mage winked at her. After that, it were only a few steps till the altar and she made it out safely before going towards Lucy.

They waited a few minutes before Sherry and Jura entered the church. The pinkette' wedding dress had been designed to be simple and elegant, unlike the bridesmaids ones. Her swollen stomach was showing and, by then, Sherry didn't mind anymore. She was almost 6 months pregnant, so she was used to it already.

"Ladies and gentleman, we're here gathered on this beautiful day..." The priest began reciting and Juvia looked around the tent, bored. On the corner of her eye, she spotted a man similar to Silver and a smile appeared on her face as she thought about Gray's father.

Over the past few weeks, he had become close to many members of the guild, his fun and good hearted nature charming everyone just as Juvia years before. Having rented an apartment similar to Lucy's, the older ice mage swung by Gray's apartment in the mornings in which she slept over and the three of them had breakfast together. Sometimes they would eat in the guild as well and it was fun.

As time passed, Gray grew more comfortable around him and it wasn't long before they started acting as family, with Silver teasing his son while the young ice mage complained. Juvia liked watching them bond and she couldn't!t be happier thhat they had been reunited and were both safe.

Unfortunately, as far as she knew, neither her memories nor Silver's returned and so they hadn't been able to find any clues regarding the people who had kidnapped them. The bluenette wasn't too worried about it, though. The nightmares had become less and less frequent and it was rare for her to think about her captors. She only focused on the happiness she felt being with her two favorite men.

* * *

_Meanwhile, in a remote hotel room..._

"Are you kidding me? Why is there no hot water?" Sorano Aguria, more commonly known as Angel, complained as she was dressed in a white bathrobe. She had been preparing to take a much needed shower, but it didn't seem likely.

"Richard must have used it all, you know how he likes to take long baths." Racer suggested, shrugging. He was sitting on the couch near Cobra and Midnight, the three of them looking extremely bored. Jellal and Richard could be heard talking on the balcony.

"Ugh, I'm so sick of living with you people!" The woman complained and Cobra smirked.

"So you'd rather be back in jail?" He raised a brow and she glared.

"Of course not. Anything's better than that place." She shivered at the thought.

"I'll say." Midnight added before standing up.

"Where are you going?" Cobra asked him as he headed for the door.

"Outside. If I stay in this room any longer, nothing will stop me from becoming a true nightmare." They understood how he felt, but it's not as if they could just stroll outside anytime they wanted. Not when their faces were constantly on the paper and the Magic Council was saving no expenses to find them.

"As if you weren't one already." Racer muttered beneath his breath and Midnight glared.

"I'll come too. I could use some fresh air." Cobra said as he stood up as well. However, before he could take another step, Jellal and Richard entered the room.

"Where are you going?" The blue haired man asked.

"Outside." Midnight answered shortly, preparing to open the door.

"You can't." Everyone stared at him in confusion.

"You're not the boss of us." Cobra told him, but Jellal's face remained firm and serious.

"I know that. But we can't risk going outside now." He shared a worried look with Richard, who seemed tense.

"What's going on?" Angel asked, impatiently crossing her arms.

"We've got a problem." Jellal explained before sighing. "It seems we haven't been as discreet as I hoped. The Magic Council reinforce unit is almost here." Their eyes widened.

"What? That's impossible! I would've heard if they were coming." Cobra said, shaking his head.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Angel muttered.

"Guess it's time for us to move again." Racer said, looking pointedly towards Jellal. He might not be "the boss of them", as Cobra had said, but he had more experience with being a escaped convict, so they relied on him for the big decisions.

"I'm afraid so." There was a collective groan in annoyance. It would be the 8th time in 3 weeks that they'd be moving locations and they were sick of it.

"Where to?" Midnight asked and a small smile came to Jellal's face as he answered.

"Antartica." Since they'd never heard the name of the village, they were confused.

"Why?" Midnight asked.

"I have friends who used to live there before Deliora's attack. It's been deserted for over a decade and I doubt the Council will think to look there." The mention of the demon's name caused them to frown as they recalled other demons that they hadn't been able to find yet.

The search for Tartarus had led them no where, much to Jellal's disappointment. He'd been hoping that the Oracion Seis might have some useful information that could aid in finding the demons. However, as it turned out, besides knowing that the guild members were all creatures from the books of Zeref and were looking for a weapon, the six wizards knew nothing. They explained to Jellal how Brain was the only one who knew about the guild's location and who had ever met them, but since the former leader was long gone, there was no way for them to get ahold of this info.

So for the past few weeks they had been stuck with moving around and trying to escape the Council, not much research was done. They did manage to track down Tartarus' activity, seeing as they thought that the demons were responsible for the dismantling of many dark guilds recently, but were no closer to finding the other guild's location than three weeks before.

The worst part, in Jellal's case, was that he had no way of sharing what little information he did have. After all, with searches for him increasing, contacting Erza or any other allies was too risky. And it worried him greatly how they had no idea that Tartarus were on the move or just what they were capable of.

"So, Angel, you should get changing so that we can leave before lunch time." Richard's deep voice brought Jellal back to reality.

"First you should take a look at this, I had totally forgotten." Cobra told her before walking back to the table in front of the sofa. Beneath a few newspapers that featured their faces, he pulled out an edition of the Sorcerer Weekly magazine.

"Why are you giving me this?" Angel was confused as she stared at the object in confusion.

"You should check out page 11." When she merely raised a brow, Cobra sighed. "Your sister did an interview last week. Thought you'd like to know." Silence filled the room as she took in a sharp breath.

They had a silent agreement never to touch the subject of the people they loved outside of the Seis. Although Jellal tried to convince them it wasn't such a bad idea for Cobra to tell them about Cubelious or for Angel to talk about Yukino, the two wizards refused to do so.

"Thank you." The white haired woman whispered after a few moments before picking the magazine. She shared a meaningful look with Cobra before turning around and walking into the bathroom.

"You shouldn't have done that, Cobra." Midnight warned, a disapproving look.

"I disagree. She should know what's going on in her sister's life." Jellal refuted.

"It's not about that." They turned to Cobra in confusion. "It's about having something to hold on to, a reason to keep going even when we've hit rock bottom."

"I don't need a reason." Midnight told him while placing his long hair behind his years. "Defeating Zeref and Tartarus is enough for me."

"For me too." Racer agreed.

"What about afterwards?" Jellal asked them. "You must have someone you wish to see again."

"All I want is to be free." The fast man replied and it was Midnight's turn to nod.

"Yes. We might be out of jail, but this isn't the freedom you promised." He gave the blue haired man a pointed look.

"After we've defeated Zeref and purged the world of his darkness, I'll make sure that you stay free." He told them before pausing. "It's a promise." They knew he felt responsible for what happened to them during the Tower of Heaven and Jellal had expressed often his desire to make up for it by freeing them from their demons.

"I'll hold you to that." Midnight replied before opening the door and going outside.

Unknown to any of them, freedom was right around the corner, but it wouldn't be without a price.

* * *

_Back at the wedding..._

"Look who's here, my love. It's Ryos." Juvia excitedly told her boyfriend as they stood chatting. The wedding ceremony had gone smoothly and the party had started a few minutes before. Everyone was spread across the tent or outside, on the beach, as they chatted, danced and drank.

"I thought he asked you to call him Rogue." The ice mage told his girlfriend while looking in the direction of the dragon slayer, who approached them with Gajeel.

"Right, I keep forgetting." Juvia internally face palmed before placing on a big smile as Rogue reached them.

"Good afternoon. How are you doing?" He politely asked and his older brother rolled his eyes.

"We're okay. Glad that it's all over." Juvia gestured towards the crowded place and he nodded. Everyone was aware of how much trouble the bridesmaids had with trying to do everything before the wedding. Thankfully it had worked out just fine.

"Hell yeah. Wedding ceremonies are too boring." Gray commented, ignoring the glare she sent his way before she looked around to make sure Sherry wasn't near them. The now married couple were dancing in the middle of the improvised dance floor on the tent.

"Tell me about it. I thought it would never end." Gajeel said and the bluenette shook her head.

"You guys just don't see the magic." They stared at her in confusion.

"What magic?" Her boyfriend asked, confused.

"Never mind." Juvia told them, knowing it was no use trying to show them the magic of weddings.

"Rogue, there you are. I've been looking all over for you." They heard and small voice and turned around to find two exceeds coming their way. Lector looked annoyed and bored while Frosh had tears in his eyes.

"You...left me." The frog like creature sobbed and Rogue's face softened.

"I'm sorry, Frosh. I thought you were okay with staying with Lector." He told the small creature while kneeling down so that he could pick him up.

"Oh, he's just too cute." Juvia cooed while she watched them hug.

"Nah, Lily is way cuter." Gajeel proudly said.

"Did you just say that he's cute?" Gray raised a brow, confused by his choice of words. Gajeel Redfox never said that anyone was cute. Never.

"Shut up, stripper." The dragon slayer yelled, annoyed.

"That's better. For a second there I was starting to think that you had changed." The ice mage said, annoying him even more.

"Are you looking for a fight?" The latter raised an arm, ready for a punch, but Juvia put her hand on it.

"Stop fighting! This is a wedding, for Mavis' sake." She glared at them and they gave her apologetic looks. "You must behave."

"Of course. I'm sorry." Gray quickly said and she smiled.

"That's better." She told him in her sweet but scary tone.

"You guys are too crazy." Rogue commented, bringing their attention back to him.

"I think so too." Frosh added, lifting his paws up.

"Tell me about it." Juvia rolled her eyes before approaching him. "Can I have a hug too?" The dragon slayer was caught off guard, but nodded after a few seconds. Frosh moved to his shoulder as Juvia hugged him tightly.

"I've missed you." She whispered. Ever since the Grand Magic Games, they had become close once again. It wasn't easy for her to get used to the fact that the child she used to play with back at Phantom Lord was now a grown up man, but they had managed.

They had made an agreement to do something together every week, sometimes Gray or Gajeel would tag along so the ice mage was also friendly towards Rogue. However, over the past three weeks, Juvia had been extremely busy with the wedding, so they hadn't seen each other much.

"I've missed you too." He whispered just before they pulled apart.

"Well, I should get going. Got important things to do." Gajeel said, turning their attention back to him.

"Yes, of course. How could I forget?" Juvia quickly detached herself from Rogue before approaching her best friend. She straightened his tie before giving him an encouraging smile

"Now you're ready for Operation Gale." He rolled his eyes.

"You know that's a stupid name." The water mage shrugged.

"I wasn't the one who chose it." The name had been chosen by none other than Mirajane Strauss. "But that's not the point. I hope everything works out."

"Me too." He replied and both got lost in thought as they recalled everything about the operation.

It had all started three weeks before, when Gajeel had kissed Levy for the first time. He had been confused and unsure, so instead of dealing with it, he had run. A single letter was all Juvia had as information until he had gotten back 6 days before.

According to Lily, during their long mission the dragon slayer had done a lot of thinking about his relationship with the petit bluenette and what it meant to him. The exceed also stressed how Gajeel had returned a changed man, which didn't go unnoticed by Juvia. She quickly realized he wasn't the same coward who had ran away a few weeks before, something about him felt different and it was only confirmed when he told her about his decision.

She hadn't been expecting it, truly, but it thrilled her anyways. After all, to see such a clueless (about romance) and closed off person as Gajeel Redfox openly declaring (to her only) that he was in love had been a miracle. One that Juvia appreciated very much and she had been excited to hear that he was willing to try a relationship with Levy.

He had meant to reveal his feelings only to her, but as it usually happened when it came to Fairy Tail, Mira and Lisanna had swung by during that conversation and Gajeel's plan blew up. At least the two sisters promised to keep it a secret, with the exception of Lucy. The blonde was Levy's best friend, after all, therefore the best person to help him confess his feelings.

Needless to say, he hadn't been too happy with it, but after some convincing from Juvia, decided to seek out the celestial spirit. She had clearly been pissed off at him for leaving her best friend behind, but was glad to hear he had manned up and was willing to finally have a talk with Levy.

Since the wedding would be coming in a few days, Lucy and Juvia advised Gajeel to wait for it to confess this feelings, since the romantic atmosphere would set out the perfect opportunity. So here they were.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go!" Juvia urged him, seeing as he remained frozen in place, looking nervous. Gray tried his best to stifle his laugh. Oh how he loved seeing Gajeel acting like a shy teenager.

"I think it's not such a good idea to do this now." THe dragon slayer told her while laughing nervously. "You know, I just saw Levy and she didn't look too happy."

"I think that's because you've been ignoring her." Gray told him, eyebrows raised.

"Just go already!" Lector impatiently said, making him glare at the cat.

"Unless you wish to lose her." Rogue warned, it seemed as if he had been told about the situation.

"Ugh, I'll go now, but only because you're annoying me." Gajeel snapped before turning his back on them and walking away.

"They grow up so slowly." Juvia joked, shaking her head.

"Yeah, at least Sting's finally manned up." Rogue said, glancing towards the dance floor where Sting and Yukino were dancing together.

According to Rogue, the two were completely in love, but the blonde man had been giving her time to move on from what happened during the Games and get used to being in the new Sabertooth guild. If it wasn't for Lector and Rogue pushing him to ask her out, though, he might've never done it.

"So, are they together now?" Juvia curiously asked.

"Not yet, but it's only a matter of time." The dragon slayer replied.

"You know, seeing all these people dancing is making me want to give it a try." Both gave the ice mage weird looks.

"You want to dance?" Juvia asked. Although she did love it, she usually restrained herself from asking Gray to dance with her, knowing it wasn't exactly his favorite thing.

"Yes. My dad's been teaching me a few moves, so I want to try it out." He replied, leaving her stunned for a moment.

"Remind me to thank him later." She took his extended hand and, after saying a quick goodbye to Rogue, they joined the other couples on the dance floor.

* * *

"Hey, Macao. What're you reading?" Wabaka asked as him and Romeo approached the former Fairy Tail master, who was sitting on a table while starting at the newspaper.

"Did you see this?" Macao asked in return and the other man leaned in to check on the newspaper while the teenager looked around, searching for Natsu. The fire dragon slayer was currently dancing with his girlfriend, who looked very happy at something he was telling her.

"So it's really happening, huh?" Wabaka said, staring at the cover. There were three pictures: the first was of the Oracion Seis, the second of Jellal and the third of agent Dorenbolt from the Magic Council reinforce unit. The title above them clearly said: Oracion Seis still missing, Dorenbolt goes to trial.

"I was hoping it wouldn't have to come to this." Macao replied, feeling sorry for the agent who had helped them so much during the Games.

Three weeks before, in a surprising turn no one had seen coming, all six members of the Oracion Seis had managed to escape their prison. Of course, they didn't do it alone. Everyone was shocked, to say the least, when a footage of Agent Dorenbolt and Jellal visiting Cobra's cell was delivered to the public.

The Magic Council had no choice but to imprison the agent, while Jellal somehow managed to escape. Dorenbolt had been held at the Council as he awaited a definitive decision of his fate. He refused to speak to the public and didn't even attempt to deny having helped Jellal free the Seis. It was no use, after all.

"Is that the paper?" The thre men turned around to find Erza Scarlet approaching them, alone.

"Yep. He hasn't been caught yet, if that's what you're wondering." Macao told her, knowing she was probably wondering how Jellal was faring. It was no secret to the members of Fairy Tail that there was something going on between the two.

"I wasn't wondering anything." Erza replied, giving him a warning look. He internally face palmed as he realized just what he had said. Speaking of Jellal so freely and loudly was the worst idea ever, seeing as the Magic Council had been keeping a close eye on Erza over the past few weeks.

They were well aware that she had been keeping contact with the blue haired man after some letters were found in her home. Normally the Council wouldn't be allowed to enter any civillian's home, but after Lahar clearly stated that he had seen Erza and Jelllal together during the Games and suspected she might've helped him free the Oracion Seis, they gained permission. The red head hadn't been too happy to have them wondering around her home and rummaging through her personal letters, but she didn't have a choice.

"How're you doing, Erza?" Wabaka asked with clear concern and she shrugged.

"Fine. Although I'd really like to get them off my back." She whispered, glancing towards the man belonging to the Rune Knights that was standing not far from them.

"They're really hoping that you'll contact him." Macao stated and she nodded. Erza had been lucky that the Council hadn't imprisoned her for keeping contact with a escaped convict. Usually the letters would be used as proof of treason, but it seemed as if they were more interested in being led to Jellal than doing their job. She was sure they were expecting her to contact him and maybe arrange a meeting so that he could be caught.

Unlucky for the Council, Erza Scarlet wasn't an idiot and she was well aware of what they were planning. So she hadn't said anything to Jellal ever since that last day on the beach. It was really hard not hearing from him, but she forced herself to focus on the fact that it meant he was safe. As long as he wasn't captured, she was fine with not being able to contact him.

"Yes, but I know better." Erza replied as a sad look came upon her face. Please, be safe. She thought to herself as she prayed Jellal was doing alright. She wondered if he had managed to get anymore information on Tartarus, since that had been the reason for his visit to Cobra.

Too bad she was completely unaware of the knowledge he possessed. Maybe if she had known just what the dark guild was capable of, the battle against them wouldn't have gone so disastrously.

* * *

Not far from the table where Erza, Macao and Wabaka were discussing Jellal and Dorenbolt, two figures watched the crowded place with interest.

"Look at this party, they really went all out." Bixlow said and Lisanna nodded.

"Yes, it's amazing how they managed to pull it off on such short notice." She replied, eyes focused on her older sister, who was currently dancing with a grumpy looking Laxus.

"Do they really think that no one can see them?" He whispered while staring at the other couple.

"I think Laxus is well aware that we can." She said, smiling as the blonde man looking in their direction before blushing.

"Maybe we should try the dance floor." He suggested and she shook her head.

"Not a good idea. They'd see right through us." That comment made him frown.

"I don't think so. If they haven't figured it out by now, I doubt a little dancing would do the trick." Bixlow replied and she quickly looked around, panicking. Thankfully, there was no one was close enough to hear them.

For a few weeks now they had been secretly dating, just as Elfman and Evergreen before them. Truth be told, the other couple was the reason for that, since Mira had insisted that the Strauss siblings spend more time with the Thunder Legion members after she had discovered that her brother was dating the fairy woman.

While Mira had grown closer to both Freed and Laxus, Lisanna had found in Bixlow a close friendship that quickly evolved into something more. She wasn't sure exactly how it happened or when her feelings changed, but she was glad to have someone. It was hard watching her friends fall in love and get married while she stayed behind because of those two years spent away from them in Edolas.

"Okay." She decided to give in, hoping no one would figure out that they were together. The last thing they wanted was for their relationship to be exposed, specially since they were still in the beginning. After what happened with Elfman and Evergreen, the two had quickly realized that keeping it a secret was the best option.

"Oh, yeah! Let's have some fun!" Bixlow excitedly said and she rolled her eyes before taking his hand. Before they could take any steps, however, Cana came walking in their direction. They were confused to see her there, seeing as only a few minutes before she had been following Bacchus towards one of the tables, probably for another drinking contest.

"Cana, what's wrong?" Lisanna asked after quickly letting go of his hand.

"I need to talk to you." The brunette replied, looking concerned.

"Does it have to be now?" Bixlow asked, impatient.

"This can't wait, it's important." Was her firm reply.

"Okay." Lisanna said, confused. Cana seemed way more serious than usual and she was clearly sober, which wasn't a good sign. Something was wrong.

"Wait, what about me?" The two ladies turnied around to find Bixlow hadn't moved.

"You can come." Cana replied, giving him a knowing look. "It's best if you hear this too."

The two lovers shared a worried look before following the brunette outside. Barely did they know, the conversation that awaited them would be the first step in the complete alteration of their fates.

* * *

_Nearby, on the beach..._

"This really troubles me." Master Makarov told the white exceed that was flying by his side. They were walking along the beach, far from the tent.

"Me too. I fear what it might mean." She replied, a horrified look coming to her face. They were currently discussing Carla's latest vision from 10 days before. It sent shivers down her spine when she thought about it, it was even worse than the first one.

_The first flash was of Zeref, standing in the same grass field of the first vision. Instead of looking bored, though, he seemed agitated, anxious. Carla soon found out why as she saw a large coffin not far from him. Inside it was the body of a woman, long black hair covering the front of her white dress. The exceed didn't know who she was, but she was clearly important to him._

_All of sudden, another person appeared. He had long, spiky blue hair, eyes in a dark green colour and light blue markings covering his face and upper torso, which was uncovered. His gaze was piercing and he glared at Zeref, who didn't look too happy to see him either._

_"It's almost done." The black wizard said and the man shook his head._

_"It will never be done." Was his reply in a threatening tone._

_"You can't stop it. No one can." Zeref replied, looking calm yet confident._

_The man ignored him as he approached the casket and stared at it. Carla was deeply disturbed to find that the woman had disappeared and another body replaced hers. Light blue hair, blue eyes open in a surprised look, a dark blue dress covering her figure. Juvia Lockser was dead._

"It's clear that Zeref's planning something, but what?" Makarov wondered, bringing the exceed back to the present.

"Whatever it is, it involves Juvia." Carla stated and he nodded.

He was the only person who knew about her latest visions. Although at first she had been planning to tell Wendy or Juvia about it, she decided that the Fairy Tail master was the best option. For reasons Carla didn't quite understand, he had been imminenent about keeping her visions a secret. It was probably for the best, though, since there was nothing they could do when Zeref was nowhere to be found.

They had been keeping a close eye on Juvia, though, knowing she might be in danger. Everything seemed normal and the water mage was clearly happy, so there wasn't much cause to worry. No dark figures tried to approach her and she told them that her nightmares didn't haunt her anymore.

"I believe we should warn her." Carla said and Makarov sighed.

"I know. But not yet, let's wait until the wedding is over." That was another reason why they hadn't told her, Juvia had been so busy with planning Sherry's wedding that learning about Carla's terrifying visions would do her no good.

"I can only hope that neither vision will come true. The thought of her being used by Zeref like that angers me." Makarov added.

"I doubt she'd work for him, even if something happened to Gray. But the other option is just as horrible." Carla put in before silence fell upon them as both wondered what exactly those visions meant and who were the mysterious man and woman of the second one.

The answer would come soon and it was nothing like they could've ever expected.

* * *

"I must admit, I'm impressed." Juvia told her boyfriend as they danced.

"Really?" He gave her an unsure, yet hopeful look.

"Yes. These dance lessons have really payed off." She laughed at his insecurity.

"I'm glad. Wouldn't want to embarrass you in front of so many people." He told her, looking around the crowded dance floor.

"You know that I don't care about that." He took the opportunity to kiss her, arms tightening around her waist. She replied just as passionately, it had been a while since they had some alone time. Between wedding planning, "babysitting" Meredy and researching about her mother, Juvia had barely had time for him and he understood that, but it had been too long.

As usual, their moment was interrupted too soon by the sound of voices calling her name. After regretfully pulling apart, the water mage looked to her right side and spotted Hibiki, followed by Jenny.

"Sorry." She whispered before removing her arms from around Gray and taking a few steps in their direction.

"There you are, I've been looking all over for you." Hibiki said. They noticed there was a white envelope in his arms.

"We were right in the middle of the dance floor." Gray told him, raising a brow.

"You are now, but we've been looking for a while." Jenny replied, looking annoyed.

"What's this about?" Juvia asked Hibiki, ignoring his grumpy girlfriend. (Or was she even? According to Sherry, they'd been on and off again for about two years, so you could never know with these two.)

"I think I found what you're looking for." Her eyes widened and she looked towards the envelope.

"Really?" She was filled with hope as the possibility that all her questions would be answered arose.

For weeks Juvia and Lucy had been researching about Juliet Heartfilia, in hopes of finding what happened to her and why the rest of the family acted as if she had never existed. Much to their disappointment, their findings weren't the least bit helpful.

With the help of Hibiki, who managed to gain access to the Magic Council's archive, they found out that Juliet was indeed Layla's sister and daughter of Henry and Jane Heartfilia. However, when it came to her death, not only did it mark the wrong date of X762 like in the grave Lucy had found, but there weren't many details about it.

After 16 days of useless results, the duo decided to seek information on Daniel Lockser, Juvia's father, in hopes they might come up with something good. And boy, they weren't disappointed this time. They learned that not only did Daniel know both Juliet and Layla, but he was once accused of attempted murder of Lucy's mother.

Juvia found it absurd and didn't believe a single word the archive said about her father, which caused a fight to erupt since the blonde understood she was accusing Layla of lying. Gray managed to break it up by suggesting that they waited until they had all the information before making decisions.

"Here, let me show you." Hibiki opened the envelope and pulled out a picture of an unknown woman with sand colored hair and bright blue eyes. "Her name's Sarah Lockser. She was the head of the Lockser Household after her husband passed away in X757."

"So that's Juvia's grandmother?" Gray asked and he nodded.

"Yep. You have her eyes." He told the water mage, who was staring at the picture.

"That's a brilliant idea! She must know what happened, I should talk to her." Her eyes were shining with excitement when she turned to them.

"I'm afraid you can't do that." Hibiki regretfully told her.

"Why not?" Gray asked, confused and they got a bad feeling when he sighed.

"I'm sorry, but she passed away a few years ago." Juvia's face fell completely.

"Of course she did." The bluenette muttered beneath her breath while shaking her head. How could she have been so stupid and naive to think that the answers would come so easily?

"But her house hasn't been sold yet." Hibiki added, making them look at him. "I mean, not the Lockser Household cause that was bought by the Hertafilia Family ages ago. She moved to a quiet place near Magnolia and it's empty."

"So I guess we know where to go." Gray said and Juvia nodded.

"I'll go get Lucy and we can meet by the entrance of the tent, okay?" He nodded and they shared a quick kiss before she left to find Lucy.

In the back of her mind, Juvia wondered if finding the answers would be worth it in the end or if it would only turn her life into an even bigger mess.

* * *

_Meanwhile, not far from the wedding..._

"You know, it's funny how much things can change in so little time." Silver muttered as he stood there, a bouquet of roses between his hands. He was alone, for once, no sign of Gray and Juvia. The three of them had been spending a lot of time together and, though he was grateful to have his son back, he couldn't deny that it still hurt.

For so many years he had been plagued by constant nightmares of Gray's death and it was hard to believe that none of it had been real. Even harder to believe that Gray had found Juvia, his dear friend's daughter, and the two of them had formed a bond that rivalled Silver and Mika's love.

"At least Gray's found some happiness, you have no idea how grateful I am that he wasn't alone for all these years." He told the mysterious person who wasn't really there, she was nothing more than a figure of his imagination.

"I'm sure you'd disagree if I told you that this was the work of fate, but what can I do. I've always been a romantic and you knew that very well." A smile came to his face as memories of her crossed his mind. Good memories, happy ones. But then, it was replaced by a frown as he recalled the sad times.

"I wish there was a way that we could only remember the good times. Life would certainly be easier if we could just forget our traumas." Silver sighed before looking back at the hallucination. She didn't say anything, instead choosing to watch him cautiously. Her dark eyes showed symphaty and regret, just as he imagined they would if she was still there.

"But then again, I wouldn't want to forget you. Without you, Gray wouldn't be the strong and resilient mage that I see now." He chuckled as the woman smiled a sad smile. "He shares your stubbornness, as it seems. I always knew he would be a tough one to crack, but not this much. I blame you." He laughed as she frowned and crossed her arms, glaring at him like he clearly remembered. So much he wished he could forget, yet knew he would regret it if he didn't remember.

"At least he's learned not to keep asking questions that I can't answer." Another frown appeared as he continued talking to the hallucination. Sliver remembered all the times he had been forced to lie to Gray and how relieved he had been when the ice mage stopped asking questions. There was only so much Siver could take and he was sure Tartarus would kill his son in a second if he opened his mouth.

So he had stayed quiet, for the past few weeks. Not a word about them was said and he pretended that his memories were gone while searching for spells to try to bring them back. Thankfully he had been able to convince Gray and Juvia not to help him with it, the last thing he needed was for them to grow suspicious.

But he hadn't found the spelll that would make her remember. He had failed her and time was running out.

"Silver?" He was brought out of his thoughts by a soft voice. His eyes widened once he turned around to face the familiar girl who he had gotten somewhat close to. This wasn't good, he was supposed to be alone there.

Well, time to lie some more. Wonderful. If there was a God somewhere, Silver was sure he would be sent to hell for making up so many false truths.

* * *

**So, what do you think? I know there's A LOT going on in this chapter, so I'll give you a hint on what you should focus more.**

**First, let me tell you that there were 3 plots that I introduced here with the intention of exploring them further in the sequel. Those are:**

**~~1-Silver.~~ One of my favorite characters of the anime, Silver has quite an interesting backstory that you haven't seen yet. Whatever you think you know about him, rethink because there will be some major plot twists including him and other important characters in Gray's life.**

**2-LisannaXBixlow + Cana. It might seem to have come out of no where, since I never focused on these characters, but there's a reason why they were a part of this chapter. You'll learn more in the sequel.**

**3-Carla's second vision. Who do you think are the two strangers in it? The identity of the man will be revealed in chapter 23, so feel free to guess. **

**Outside of the main plots, what did you think of my twists on the Tartarus Arc? Did anyone expect Dorenbolt to end up in jail? And are you happy that the Oracion Seis are already free and set on the path to redemption? I hope I did justice for their characters.**

**Lastly, let's talk about Juliet and Layla. You're only one chapter away from learning their full backstory, so what do you think caused Juliet to flee her home and her family to pretty much erase her existence?**

**Next chapter: All The Reasons Why. Juvia and Lucy learn of a tale as old as time while Silver accidentally reveals a huge secret to an unexpected person.**

**Let's try 715 hits for chapter 21.**

 


	21. All The Reasons Why

**Hello, dearest readers! As promised, here is the next chapter of Connections.**

**I can't believe there are only 3 chapters left, I was starting to think that I was never going to end this. In any case, there will be a sequel coming up as soon as it's done, so the story is far from over.**

**I hope everyone can get excited for the new story, it will be more intense and action-packed since it will focus mostly on the war against Tartarus.**

**Happy reading, everyone!**

* * *

 

Love Story-Taylor Swift

'Cause you were Romeo, I was a scarlet letter  
And my daddy said "Stay away from Juliet"  
But you were everything to me, I was begging you, please, don't go

And I said Romeo take me somewhere we can be alone  
I'll be waiting, all there's left to do is run  
You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess  
It's a love story baby just say yes

* * *

 

"Silver?" The black haired man turned around to face the familiar girl who he had gotten somewhat close to over the past few weeks.

"Hey, kid. What're you doing here?" Meredy stared at him in shock, glancing between the bouquet and the two graves behind him.

"Oh My God!" Her hands flew to her mouth as her brain tried to comprehend what was happening.

"Something wrong?" Silver asked, raising a brow.

"You're here." She replied and he nodded. "To see Ur."

"Yes, I decided to pay my respects to the woman who rescued my son." The lies began.

"No, that's not true." He was surprised when she shook her head. "I heard you talking to her before, but I just can't believe it. You knew her!" She hated how accusatory it sounded, but there was no going back now.

"Maybe I did." Silver admitted, sighing. It was no use lying again when she had clearly heard him.

"Why didn't you say anything ?" So many reasons. But he couldn't tell her, not when it would only put her in danger.

"I have my reasons for keeping it a secret, so I'd like it if you didn't mention it to Gray, at least not yet." Meredy merely nodded, still in shock.

"When will you tell him?" The question caught him off guard.

"I don't know." Silver admitted, suddenly feeling nervous. If she told Gray there would be questions he wasn't ready to answer yet.

"He's my friend. I don't want to keep such a huge secret from him." The pinkette said, making him smile sadly.

"I don't either, kiddo. Just give me some time, okay?" It was her turn to sigh before she gave in.

"Okay." They fell into a comfortable silence once again before Silver placed the bouquet of lilies by Ur's grave. As both stared at it, they could hear the sea waves crashing onto the shore and it was as if she was there with them. Who knows, maybe she truly was.

* * *

 

_Back at the wedding..._

The newlyweds happily danced to their favourite songs, with Sherry moving carefully, of course. They found themselves unable to stop smiling, so happy as they were.

"This feels like a dream." She admitted, glancing around the tent.

"We should enjoy it while it lasts." Ren replied, making her frown.

"Why do you say that?" His face turned into a smirk.

"It won't be long before either Itchya goes crazy or Hibiki and Jenny break up again and start making a scene." He shook his head at their friends' antics and Sherry panicked.

"Oh, god! I hadn't even thought of that. What are we gonna do?" His smile enlarged as she glanced around wildly.

"Just relax, Sherry. You know our friends won't embarrass us today." She slowly nodded before sighing.

"Don't do that again." Her glare was threteaning when she said it and he nodded.

"Sorry." He brought her closer for a sweet kiss she loved, though her stomach got in the way, as usual. "You've got to be kidding me." Ren muttered as he was pushed back by a strong kick and he glared at it.

"I think she's happy that we finally got married." Sherry told him, removing her hands from around his neck so that she could place one on her stomach. He stopped dancing, removing his own hands from around her waist so he could place them on top of hers.

"You mean he." She raised a brow.

"No, I mean she." He shook his head, but said nothing. They had an agreement not to find out if they were having a boy or a girl until the big day, so they liked joking around with what they thought it would be. Their friends had joined as well; while Hibiki, Eve and Jura bet on boy; Jenny, Chelia, Lucy, Lyon and Juvia leaned more towards girl.

"Don't you two look happy." They turned around at the sound of the voice and smiled upon spotting none other than Lyon Vastia.

"Hey." Sherry excitedly greeted before removing her arms from her stomach and approaching him so that they could hug.

"Congratulations." He whispered in her ear and she smiled.

"Thank you." Ren watched them with a small smile. He couldn't deny that sometimes he'd get jealous with how close these two were, specially considering Sherry had once been in love with Lyon, but over the years he had gotten used to their close friendship and couldn't deny that he liked the ice mage as well.

"So, I think I'll try to find master Itchya." He told them and both nodded.

"Congratulations, man!" Lyon And Ren shook hands before the latter left the two friends alone. After a few moments of silence as they slowly danced, Lyon spoke.

"So, how does it feel to be a married woman?" Sherry smiled as she answered.

"I don't know, I still haven't felt a change yet." Her smile enlarged and her eyes shone with excitement. "I do feel happier than ever, though."

"That's good, I'm glad to hear it." She cast him a worried look.

"What about you? Are you happy?" That was the question that had plagued her mind over the past few weeks, when Lyon had disappeared while taking more jobs ever. It was impossible not to notice that something wasn't fully right and she couldn't deny her curiosity.

"I'm getting there." He replied simply.

"And will I ever learn what happened with the mysterious girl that I still haven't gotten a name?" He shook his head, looking a bit annoyed.

"There is no girl." Lyon stubbornly denied for the thousand time.

"I'm not stupid, I know there is someone." She pushed, making him look away, clearly uncomfortable. "Come on, Lyon. Talk to me."

"Can't it wait?" She was taken aback by his response.

"Of course. Whenenever you're ready, just talk to me." He gave her a grateful smile.

"Thank you." They danced around for a few more minutes, silence overtaking them, until Sherry broke it.

"Look, I'll be there for you, whatever you decide. But I just think that, when you were with her, you seemed happier." He smiled once again, memories of his time with Meredy coming to mind.

"Yes, I was." He didn't know what to do yet, everything was so complicated. However, one thing was clear: he wouldn't just let Meredy go. Either as the mother of his child or something more, he would keep her in his life.

* * *

_Meanwhile, at Sarah Lockser's old home..._

"Okay, nothing here." Natsu said as him and Lucy checked the kitchen for clues.

It has been about 30 minutes since they had arrived there after Juvia had told them the news.

"We didn't find anything either." Gray and Ezra replied from the living room.

"This place is so beautiful!" Wendy said as she looked out the window of the guest room.

"What about you, Juvia?" The ice mage asked and when there was no response, he started worrying.

"Maybe she didn't hear you." Ezra told him, shrugging.

"Juvia?" He called and once again there was only silence.

"We'd better check on her." Lucy said while standing by the kitchen door.

The group of 5 followed the small corridor until they found Sarah Lockser's old room. It was a small place painted in lilac, a small tree by the window and a large wooden wardrobe on the corner. A table was located near the bed and that's where the water mage was standing, starting at the pictures on top of it.

They understood then why she hadn't replied, she was clearly absorbed in her own thoughts about the people in the pictures. The one closest to the bed had a flowery frame and it was a portrait of a couple; the woman had dirty blonde hair and bright blue eyes, clearly Sarah Lockser, while the man with same hair colour and green eyes must be her husband, Yuri.

There were two pictures of Juvia's family; one with her parents and herself, while the second one only had the two children.

The fourth one portrayed Sarah holding a blonde child about six months old, Layla Heartfilia standing by her side. Lucy was surprised that her mother ever kept in contact with her uncle's mother, but it was nice to know their family hadn't been completely torn apart.

The last picture was of a blue haired man similar to Juvia and Yuri Lockser once again. Both were smiling, but it was clearly forced.

"Juvia?" Gray quietly said after a few moments of silence as they stared at the pictures. The bluenette didn't turn around, didn't even move.

"Are you okay?" Lucy asked, concerned.

"Fine." She sniffed and that was all it took for the ice mage to take a few steps forward until he was right behind her. His arms wrapped around her stomach and he brought her closer before kissing her forehead.

"It's okay." He softly whispered and Juvia closed her eyes and took a sharp breath before turning around to face him.

"She knew them. My parents." She spoke, voice trembling while her eyes glimmered with unshed tears.

"She knew my mother too." Lucy said, approaching the couple. Juvia's eyes followed hers towards the picture of Sarah and Layla.

"Why did she have to go too? Why couldn't I just have her?" Gray's heart hurt with how absolutely heartbroken she was.

"I don't know." He sighed, arms wrapping around her in a tight hug. "But you have me." Her head rested against his chest and he could feel the tears damping his shirt. (When had he taken his suit off anyways?)

"Me too." Lucy said, taking Juvia's pale hand and squeezing it. The bluenette removed her head so that they could share a meaningful look.

"Hey, Juvia, I think you should take a look at this!" Natsu screamed, breaking the moment. Lucy glared at him, but soon her expression turned to curious as she stared at the envelope in his hands.

"What is that?" Juvia asked between sobs.

"Natsu, look at the mess you made!" Ezra scolded as she approached the pink haired boy and saw all the envelopes that had been thrown to the floor while Juvia, Gray and Lucy were talking.

"Sorry." The dragon slayer scratched the back of his neck,looking nervous.

"Back the envelope. What is it?" Lucy asked and her boyfriend, knowing what she wanted, handed it to her. There was a note attacked to a picture of Juvia and her little brother.

_(July 2nd, X774)_

_Mother, please keep this letter in a safe place. Juliet wrote it for our beloved daughter years ago and she'd like it if Juvia could read it someday. I trust you to give this to her in case something happens to me._

_Thank you so much, for everything. I hope someday we can see each other again so that you can meet your grandchildren._

_Sincerely yours,_

_Daniel Lockser._

"We struck gold!" Wendy excitedly said after Lucy read the note out loud.

"Seems like this letter has the answers we've been looking for." Ezra noted.

"Do you want to read it?" Lucy turned to the bluenette, who nodded.

"Yes, I need to know what happened." Juvia then took the envelope and opened it. As she started reading Juliet's letter, everyone gathered around.

**(June 26th, X770)**

**My dear, Juvia,**

**If you're reading this letter then that means I'm gone and I'm so sorry. I truly wish that I never had to leave you, but I've long since learned that death is a natural part of life and we all must endure it. I pray that at least you'll still have your father to take care of you an continue to be the wonderful father he's always been.**

**I want you to know that, even if I'm no longer here, I'll always love you. I don't say that in an attempt to make you feel better that I'm gone, but because it's true. I firmly believe that the ones we love never truly leave us and will remain forever with us through our memories.**

**So I want you to hold onto every moment we spent together. Good times and bad times because life without imperfect moments is incomplete. We must know pain in order to find strength and, even if it's unfair, we must lose in order to gain.**

**Now let's move on to the real reason why I'm writing this letter. Your father and I had an agreement to keep the secrets of our past hidden from you until we felt like you might be old enough to learn them. We agreed to tell you when you turned 18, but life isn't fair and there was no way for us to be sure that we'd be there for your 18th birthday.**

**Therefore, Daniel and I decided to write this letter to be given to you in case something happened to us.**

**I'm sure you aren't too happy with me for hiding so many things about my past and your family, but please understand that sometimes parents hide things from their children in order to protect them. Sometimes, it's meant to protect themselves as well.**

**The first thing you need to know is that my name isn't Juliet Lockser. I took your father's last name when I married him years ago.**

**My original last name was Heartfilia. I'm sure you recognize it, after all, our family was a powerful one. Your grandfather, Henry, owned most of my hometown, Reykjavik (capital city of Iceland). It was a beautiful town meant for the rich back then, I'm sure it remains the same.**

**I had a younger sister, Layla Heartfilia. She was kind, brave and loving. I hated leaving her behind, but it's what I had to do. We haven't spoken in years, so I don't know much about her life, but I do know that she gave birth to a baby girl a few years ago.**

**I hope that maybe someday you and Lucy will find each other and reunite our families like Layla and I never could.**

**In order for you to understand why I left, you must first learn about your grandmother. Her name was Jane Heartfilia and she was, in my opinion, the best mother anyone could have. Her death wasn't the first I faced, but it was certainly the worst. It was the reason why I began to resent my father and my decision to get away from him was formed.**

* * *

_March 9th, X760_

_"I'm so sorry, sir. We did everything we could, but there was no way to save her." A doctor told Henry Heartfilia as he stood by the entrance to his bedchamber, anxiously awaiting news on his wife's condition._

_"You incompetent fool! How could you let this happen?" The blue haired man yelled and the doctor cowered in fear._

_"Daddy, please." A soft voice called and both turned towards the entrance where two girls had just entered the chamber. The first one had blonde hair and brown eyes just like her deceased mother while the second had inherited her father's light blue hair and the same brown eyes._

_"Girls, I told you to stay in your room." Henry told them, voice firm._

_"Did you really think we'd stay away from mom?" Juliet asked, arms crossed._

_"I want to see mamma. Is she okay?" Layla asked, stepping in front of her older sister._

_"Return to your room, I'll talk to you later." Their father ordered, but they didn't move._

_"She's gone, isn't she?" Juliet said, dropping her arms. Henry said nothing, so the doctor spoke._

_"Yes. I am so sorry, but it wasn't possible to save Mrs. Heartfilia. I tried saving the child as your father asked, but it was far too late. He was already dead and by removing him, your mother was too weakened and didn't survive." While the other man glared at him, Layla gasped._

_"This can't be!" She screamed, tears falling._

_"I'm sorry, princess." Henry's expression softened as he looked sympathetically towards his younger daughter._

_"Why? Why did she leave us?" Her hands went to her face as she began crying hard. Juliet placed a hand on her shoulder before slowly turning her around and embracing her._

_"Shh, it's okay." She attempted to calm Layla down._

_"You should get her out of here." Henry told the bluenette and she glared at her father, unable to keep her emotions locked in anymore._

_"This is your fault." She whispered angrily and his eyes widened._

_"Juliet, how could you…" She didn't let him finish._

_"You chose to save the baby even when you knew that it could kill her." She accused and he got defensive._

_"So you'd prefer that I had let your brother die?" Juliet shook her head._

_"Of course not. But that's not the point." She unwrapped her arms from around Layla, bringing her to sit on the couch. "The point is that you didn't do that because you thought that's what mom would want or because you loved our brother."_

_"Why did I do it then?" He inquired, arms crossed and an eyebrow raised._

_"Because of your stupid desire to have a male hair! I always knew that we weren't enough for you, but I never thought you'd go as far as letting mom die in order to fulfill it." Shock crossed his face and the room was silent. Layla had stopped crying and now watched them curiously, as well as the doctor._

_"Is that really what you think of me?" Henry asked at last, sighing._

_"It doesn't matter what I think. I will never forgive you for this." Juliet told him before turning around and walking away._

* * *

 

**After my mother died, I began distancing myself from my father and sister. Whenever I looked at Layla I would see her and it killed me. We had always been best friends, as close as siblings can be, but not anymore.**

**Thank goodness I had Daniel. He was my rock, the only thing that kept me sane during the two years before I left. We began dating shortly after my mother's death, but we had known each other for years.**

**The first time we met will always be in my mind. It was a strange day. Layla and I had been playing volleyball by the garden, hidden from our parents. Problem was, the ball ended up crossing the fence that separated our property from the next one and so I had to climb it and on the other side, there he was.**

* * *

 

_June 26th (my birthday), X754_

_"Juliet, look what you've done!" Six years old Layla Heartfilia screamed._

_"Sorry, I guess I used too much strength." The bluenette apologized._

_"What now?" The blonde inquired and Juliet laughed._

_"Isn't it obvious? We have to cross the fence." Layla shook her head._

_"No way! That way we'll ruin our dresses and daddy will kill us." She reminded her older sister, who was barely paying attention as she searched for a good place to climb the fence._

_"Forget daddy. Where's your sense of adventure?" Juliet excitedly asked before walking towards the perfect spot._

_"You'll get in trouble." The blonde warned._

_"I'll be back quick, they won't even know that I was there." The bluenette told her before beginning to climb. Within minutes she was on the other side, blue dress stained with dirt, but she didn't care. She walked around for a while, confused when she didn't spot the ball._

_"Hey, who are you?" A voice called and she found a brown haired boy with the biggest blue eyes she had ever seen. In his arms was the exact object she was searching for._

_"That's my ball." She told him and he shook his head._

_"Not anymore. It's on my property, so it's mine now." Juliet frowned._

_"That's not true. It even has my name on it." The boy turned the ball in his arms and sure enough he spotted Juliet Heartfilia written in blue._

_"So you're a Heartfilia?" He asked, catching her off guard._

_"Yes. And who are you?" She inquired, eyeing him suspiciously._

_"My name's Daniel. Daniel Lockser." He proudly told her and she smiled._

_"It's nice to meet you, Daniel. I'm Juliet." They shook hands before he handed her the ball._

_"So, do you want to take a walk so I can show you my home?" He nervously asked and Juliet didn't hesitate._

_"I would love to."_

* * *

 

**Our parents forbade us from seeing each other. As it turned out, our families were sort of long time enemies and so no contact was allowed, specially not a friendship.**

**Daniel and I didn't understand the reasons for it, but years later I would learn that the hatred between Locksers and Heartfilias had originated about 100 years before, when my father's grandmother was accused of having an affair with the head of the Lockser Household.**

**I doubt anyone knows if that truly happened, but the suspicion was enough for Mr. Heartfilia to execute his wife since it was a crime back then to sleep with someone else. For women only, of course. As a consequence, Mr. Lockser ended up killing himself, either unable to live with the guilt of being the cause of her death or because his reputation had been stained beyond repair.**

**Daniel and I chose to ignore our parents' warnings, we didn't care for some silly rivalry. We kept meeting in secret and soon enough became best friends. He was always there fore me, specially after my mother died. Within a few months, our relationship evolved into a romance and by the time I turned 17, I was sure that I wanted to marry him.**

**Unfortunately, things didn't work out the way I hoped. Shortly after we made plans to tell my father about our romance and convince him to allow us to be married, he called me to his office only to reveal that I was engaged to some rich nobleman I didn't even know. Needless to say, I wasn't pleased with the idea and thus we had our first fight.**

**For months I tried to convince him to let go of this idea of marriage, to no use. When I finally got the courage to reveal that Daniel and I were together, he lost it. I remember that moment like it was yesterday, the way he stared at me like I had committed a horrible sin.**

* * *

_March 14th, X762_

_"Daniel Lockser? Please tell me you aren't serious." Henry stared at his oldest daughter in shock._

_"Of course I'm serious." Juliet replied, arms crossed. She wore an emerald gown that she hated because it had been sent by her would-be-husband as an engagement gift._

_"How could you do this to me, Juliet?" Her father yelled, leaving her confused._

_"Excuse me?" He got up from his chair and started pacing the room._

_"After everything I've done to secure your future, this is how you repay me?" Her eyes narrowed in anger._

_"Secure my future? Are you kidding me?" It was his turn to stare at her in anger._

_"Watch your tone, young lady." Juliet shook her head, staring at him in disbelief._

_"Have you ever considered that this might not be the future I want?" His stare was firm._

_"You know very well that, as unfair as it might be, you don't get to chose your future. None of us did." He pointed towards the many paintings on the walll of their ancestors; a large one of Jane Heartfilia was placed behind his desk._

_"Maybe it's time to break the tradition." She suggested, giving him a pleading look. "Why can't we chose who we marry simply because we belong to the Heartfilia Household?"_

_"Even if you could chose, he'd be the last person I'd allow you to marry." Henry said, shaking his head._

_"Because he's a Lockser?" Juliet aske, raising a brow._

_"Because he's not a good man and certainly not a good match for you." With that said, Henry sat down in his chair. "Now you may go, I have work to do."_

_"Unbelievable." It was Juliet's turn to shake her head as she turned around and began walking away. When she was halfway through the room, he spoke again._

_"Oh, and don't forget that we'll be meeting your fiancée later tonight. We're planning the wedding ceremony for June 26th, just before your birthday, so be sure to end whatever you have with that boy before dinner." She gave him an incredulous look before her face turned to a glare._

_"I would rather die than marry someone I don't love." Henry didn't say anything, taking it as the dramatic complaint of a teenager. If only it had been so._

* * *

**I didn't actually mean it at the time, but after he tricked Layla into pretending that Daniel had attacked her, my anger towards them was on a whole new level. I knew my father wasn't a good person, but I never expected him to go so far in order to break me and Daniel up.**

**Daniel was lucky his father had been an important man to the community, because with everyone believing he had tried to kill Layla, usually he'd go to jail immediately. However, because of his bloodline and the lack of evidence except for my sister's statement, his punishment was expulsion.**

**I think that was the moment I decided to truly get away from my family. I realized they would never allow us to be together, so the only choice we had was to run away. So I started thinking of ways to escape.**

**My first attempt didn't go so well and I was caught by my nurse, Charlotte McGarden.**

* * *

 

"Wait, McGarden?" Lucy's eyes widened.

"Where have I heard that name before?" Gray wondered, lost in thought.

"Wait, isn't that Levy's last name?" Juvia realized, eyes widening as well.

"Yes." The celestial wizard replied before they kept reading.

* * *

 

**She's the only reason why I did manage to get away in the end, without her I'd have been forced to go through with the wedding and live unhappily for the rest of my life.**

**Charlotte was a sweet woman, only a couple years older than me. She started working with us when I was 12 and she was barely 17; I really liked her. She was a lover of books, so I would give her access to our huge library. We became sort of friends over the years and she was the only one who knew about Daniel and I, since she caught us one day. She kept it a secret, though, so I trusted her.**

**Charlotte saw how unhappy I was with my father's decision and decided to help me. It turned out that she had read a book about magic potions and there was one that could make one look like they were dead. I found it a little extreme, but after thinking about it, realized it would work.**

**It might seem reckless and cruel, but I was young and in love. So I decided to do whatever I could to free myself from my family, not because I didn't love them anymore, but because I was tired of sacrificing myself . It might've been selfish, but at least my actions came from love and not obsession with power like my father's.**

**I sent Charlotte to warn Daniel the day before taking the potion that I had made with my water magic and her help in finding the ingredients. It was a simple plan, yet so risky.**

**I left a note for my father and sister, admitting to having committed suicide so they wouldn't think someone had poisoned me. The last thing I needed was to have someone else blamed for my mistakes again. After that, I just lay in bed and tried to imagine how my life would be life, with Daniel by my side.**

**I don't know what happened in the next 24 hours before I woke up, but according to Charlotte, Layla was the one who found me. I can only imagine how traumatic it must've been for my poor sister.**

* * *

 

_April 10th, X762_

_"Juliet, it's time to wake up." Layla Heartfilia entered her older sister's bedroom at 10 in the morning. It was far too late for Juliet to still be asleep, so their father had sent her there._

_"Come on, dad's not happy with you and you're not helping yourself by sleeping late." The blonde girl said while opening the curtains. The body beneath the covers didn't move._

_"Seriously?" Layla rolled her eyes. Seeing no other choice, she approached the bed and started shaking her sister._

_"Wake up!" Her attention was caught by the small vial on the floor and she picked it up. "What is this?" She examined it carefully, trying to figure out what the potion was._

_"Juliet, please!" Layla begged, suddenly feeling that something was wrong. She removed the covers, but Juliet still didn't move._

_"No, no, no." The 14 years old denied the realisation she had just made. "God, please no!" She touched her sister's shoulders and immediately removed her hand. "So cold. Come on, Juliet!" A few more minutes of her begging followed, but the body remained unmoving. Cold. Dead._

_"Noooo!" A loud scream left her mouth and it called the attention of a very impatient Henry Heartfilia, who was coming towards Juliet's chambers._

_"Why are you taking so long?" He asked once he arrived at the door. However, upon seeing Layla histerically shaking his oldest daughter, his stomach churned._

_"No." A whisper of disbelief._

_"She's gone!" Layla's painful scream made the moment even more heartbreaking and for a moment he wondered if this was his fault._

* * *

**Oh, how I regret involving Layla in this. She was an innocent who didn't deserve to be caught in the crossfire between me and father. But then again, I wasn't the one who forced her to be a part of the situation, he was.**

**Just as I woke up, Daniel showed up in the crypt and we were reunited at last. He scolded me for being so reckless, but he understood. After all, he would've done the same, except that his family wasn't' as strict as mine. At least his mother wasn't, while his father had passed away a few years before.**

**We stayed in Reykjavik, hiding in the shadows, until the funeral a weeek later. I created an illusion of myself, another spell taken from Charlotte's books. After that, we decided to leave. Charlotte was there to say goodbye to us, it seemed as if Layla suspected that she was behind my death and had told her to get away or else she'd tell father.**

**So she helped me with another spell, this one to make sure no one would recognise me, before leaving. I have no idea where she is now, I hope she made it out safely.**

**Daniel and I decided to go to the furthest place possible, where my father would never find us if he ever figured out that I was alive. We wanted a fresh start as well, somewhere no one knew us. I don't know why we chose Antartica, but I'm glad we did. It was there that I met Silver, who became a close friend. We got along well and I even became godmother to his little boy, Gray.**

**However, one day the past caught up to me, so I had to leave again.**

**It was January of X767, almost 5 years after Daniel and I arrived in Antartica. A woman visited the city, a stranger. I think her name might've been Ur, I don't know. She was powerful. Way too powerful. I heard someone around the village saying her magic was comparable to a wizard saint.**

**Usually I wouldn't have cared, but the problem was that the spell I had cast to make myself unrecognisable didn't work on such powerful people. So I told Daniel we needed to run, because after a quick meeting with Ur in the market, I realized she almost recognised me.**

* * *

_January 8th, X767_

_"Please, can I have some tomatoes?" Juliet Lockser asked the salesman, who nodded. She wore a dark blue coat and on her right hand was a small bag filled with food._

_"I'd like some as well." She turned around to face the unknown woman, who smiled._

_"Hi. I don't think I've ever seen you here before." The black haired woman smiled._

_"Yes, I'm not from here. My name's Ur." The magic power coming from her was impossible to miss and Juliet was impressed._

_"Juliet." They shook hands, both smiling. It wasn't until Ur's face turned to confused that the bluenette a bad feeling._

_"Have I seen you before? You look familiar." The water mage quickly shook her head, nervous._

_"No, I don't think so." She glanced towards the salesman in panic, wanting to get out of there._

_"Juliet!" A shout made her turn around to face her best friend, who was walking her way, arms holding onto his son._

_"I have to go. It was nice meeting you, I hope you enjoy the village." Juliet told Ur, giving her a quick smile before disappearing from the woman's point of view. She missed the moment Ur's eyes widened as she realized the truth. She also missed the short moment in which Silver stared towards the black haired woman in shock, eyes widened, before a smile took over his face once Juliet approached him._

* * *

 

**After that, we moved to Crocus and only a few weeks later I found out that I was pregnant with you. We were so happy to have a baby after trying for about 2 years, but without Silver and Mika, it felt empty. Not being able to share our joy with our friends was torture, but we didn't have much of a choice. We couldn't have stayed in Antartica.**

**Now, 2 years later, we have been blessed again with your little brother. Henry, as Daniel insists that we name him after my father even though I don't like the idea. But I don't really care as long as he's healthy and safe.**

**Unfortunately, the chances aren't good. As I've fallen ill a few weeks ago, I fear what might happen to your brother or if he'll even survive. Daniel and I are trying to be positive, but it doesn't seem like we'll both make it till the end.**

**So I am writing this letter to you in case the worst happens, so that you can have the truth even if I can't tell it to you. I really hope everything will work ou, but I've long since learned that life rarely goes the way we plan.**

**I love you so much, my perfect little girl. You are everything I ever wanted and I have no doubt you'll grow up to be beautiful, kind and loving, just like we taught you. With or without me, I know you'll be an amazing person. I wish to be there for all the big moments, when you fall in love for the first time and when you get married, but I can't promise that I will.**

**Thank you for bringing so much joy to my life.**

**I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me for all I've done.**

**Always yours,**

**Juliet Lockser.**

* * *

 

**So, thoughts?**

**Were you able to understand Juliet and Layla's story? I told you, there's a reason I chose to name her Juliet. Romeo and Juliet is my favourite romance and I always wondered what would happen if their plan had worked.**

**On a side note, you should know that the names of Juliet and Layla's parents, Jane and Henry, were based on Henry VIII (king of England 1509-1547) and Jane Seymour (queen of England 1536-1537). Their story in Connections is also similar, since Jane did die in childbirth. However, in rela life, her son, Edward, survived. Henry also had two daughters, Mary Tudor (Bloody Mary) and Elizabeth I.**

**I don't know if I've ever mentioned it here, but I'm a history student at the university, so I decided to use some of my knowledge in this story. I hope it wasn't too confusing for you.**

**To make things easier, I have created a timeline of Juliet and Layla's story as well as a family tree for the Heartfilias, including Gray and Natsu's families as well.**

**The timeline can be found on fanfiction.net (same username as here), it's the first chapter of Connections-Extras. As for the family tree, I have posted it on tumblr a while ago. (my username is SweetMemories2606).**

**Next chapter: Goodbye. We'll have the aftermath of Juliet's revelations, with Levy included. Also, expect MANY Gruvia scenes, including a very special one I'm sure you'll enjoy. For anyone who's curious about Ur and Silver's connection, there'll be some info.**

**I'd like it very much if this story could reach 1000 hits once it's finished, so can we try 780 hits for chapter 22?**

 


	22. Goodbye

**Hello, dearest readers! I'm sorry this chapter's so late. I was waiting for this story to reach 780 hits, but decided 770 is enough.**

**I'm hope you enjoyed learning the complex tale that is Juliet and Layla Heartfilia's story And that you'll be interested in the plot twists coming in the sequel, such as Zeref's story and the truth about Silver. We might be only two chapters away from the end of Connections, but the story's far from over.**

**_ WARNING: There is mature content in this chapter.  _ **

**This chapter is very important for this story and the sequel, so pay good attention.**

**Happy reading, everyone!**

* * *

Be My Forever-Christina Perri

We're on top of the world  
We're on top of the world now darling so don't let go  
Can I call you mine  
So can I call you mine now darling  
For a whole lot of time  
My heart finally trust my mind  
And I know somehow it's right

* * *

_July 22nd, X774..._

_"Please, help me!" A young boy shouted as he found trapped beneath a large wardrobe. It was a miracle he wa still alive, considering the weight of the object, but he didn't care about that. Alll that he wanted was to be free so that he could check on the two people who lay not far from him, beneath the ruins of their home._

_"Please." He sobbed as the pain on his back grew and he started feeling light headed. "Mom, dad." He glanced towards the bodies of his parents, tears in his eyes as he realized they weren't moving._

_"No!" Just when the pain of being crushed started to become unbearable, he felt cold. No, freezing. Looking at the wardrobe, he was surprised to see it was suddenly made of ice. "What?"_

_"Don't worry, you'll be fine." He heard a soft voice and suddenly there was a woman, short black hair and eyes of the same colour._

_"Who are you?" The boy whispered, nearly unconscious. He barely registered that the wardrobe was shattering in pieces as she used ice magic._

_"My name's Ur." The woman cast him a gentle smile and the next thing he knew, she was taking him in her arms and carrying him away from the rubbles. "Now, let me take a look." She softly lay him on the snow before checking out for any injuries he might have. He was sure there were many, but had no time to worry about it when his parents were still trapped._

_"Wait, my parents..." He whispered, still feeling dizzy. "They're still trapped." Seeing the urgency in his tone, Ur nodded._

_"Okay, I'll check them out while Lyon stays with you, okay?" He looked back to see another young boy coming their way, his arm and right shoulder were bandaged, just as both his feet._

_"Hey, how are you doing?" The white haired child asked._

_"Fantastic." The other boy replied, groaning in pain._

_"Lyon, do you think you can keep him alive for the next few minutes?" Ur asked and he Lyon nodded. "I'll be right back." They watched as she walked away towards the ruins where the other boy had previously been._

_"So, what's your name?" He looked away from what was left of his home and towards his new friend._

_"Gray." There was a pensive look on Lyon's face._

_"Like the sky?" Gray nodded. As the other boy started laughing, he frowned, annoyed, and it wasn't long before they started bickering. While that was happening, Ur found the bodies of Gray's parents. After checking the woman's pulse and making sure she was dead, she moved towards the man with spiky black hair._

_"Silver." She froze in place as she realized who she had just rescued. "So he's your son." She looked back in the direction of the two children, stunned._

_A few moments passed as Ur contemplated this discovery. Silver's boy. Gray. The same child who she'd met years before, during happier times. When her life hadn't been crushed._

_"When his life hadn't been crushed." She muttered, looking between Gray's figure and Silver's body. She could see red liquid flowing onto the snow. A lot of it. And she knew then, she didn't even need to check his pulse, because with that amount of blood, there was no way he could've survived._

_The thought made her stomach churn and her already broken heart to be shattered once again. So unfair, so tragic. But there was nothing she could do to reverse it._

_"Goodbye, Silver." A sad smile came upon her face. "Don't worry, I'll take care of Gray. He'll be okay." With that said, she turned around and walked back to the two boys who stopped bickering as soon as she arrived._

_As she stared into Gray's hopeful eyes, she was filled with sadness at the thought of this poor child who had just lost everything._

* * *

 

_Present day, at the Magic Council building in ERA..._

Former Agent Dorenbolt stood outside of the main room where the council members were still having a meeting. By his side was Lahar, his old friend, who stared at him cautiously. They had been waiting outside for over an hour as the meeting progressed.

"Seems like the meeting went longer than scheduled." Lahar whispered, looking out the window. Dorenbolt was sure he wished to be outside instead of trapped in this place with him of all people.

"Sorry you had to be trapped here with me." He voiced his thoughts and Lahar shook his head.

"It's my duty to keep an eye on you." His tone was cold and firm, something the other agent had a hard time getting used to. After all, for seven years they had been close friends, but that ended after the reveal of Dorenbolt's betrayal.

"But are those really necessary? This place has anti-magic barriers all over." The short haired man pointed towards the cuffs around his wrists.

"They are necessary. All prisoners must wear them." Lahar ignored the hurt look on his former friend's face.

"Prisoner, huh? Sometimes I wonder how on earth I ended up like this." The captain of the Rune Nights raised a brow.

"Do I need to remind you?" Dorenbolt shook his head.

"No need. I just meant that everything's so chaotic that it's hard to believe." Lahar sighed.

"Yes, that's true." There were a few minutes of silence as both contemplated the events that had led them there.

"You know, we were really wrong about some things." The former agent said.

"Like what?" The other man curiously asked.

"Like Jellal." Tension arose at the mention of that name.

"Of course you'd say that." Lahar shook his head, a look of disbelief on his face.

"Just hear me out, okay, man?" Dorenbolt attempted, but the long haired man wasn't in the mood.

"Why should I?" The words hurt, but he didn't focus on it.

"You're right, you shouldn't." The former agent chose to nod in agreement. "But I'll say one thing, we were wrong to think that he was the worst threat. After all, Tartarus remains a mystery and they've been a lot more active as of late."

"I know that." Lahar took in a sharp breath. "But it doesn't change the fact that Jellal is a wanted criminal and you should've never helped him."

"I won't argue with that. But at least it got me some insight on who they are." The captain looked away. Dorenbolt hadn't been surprised when no one believed his word about Tartarus being a guild of demons, but it still infuriated him.

Before the captain could said anything else, the door was opened by a guard, who told them the meeting was finally over and the Council members were ready to begin the trial. "After you." Lahar allowed the prisoner to enter the room first before following. In front of them, sitting by a few chairs, were the 8 people who'd be deciding Dorenbolt's fate.

None of them looked too happy to be there and judging by the constant glares they sent towards one another, it seemed as if the meeting hadn't gone so well. "Now that the prisoner is here, let this meeting begin." Master Org, the leader, said.

"First, let us check our facts. Former Agent Dorenbolt, you have been brought here on the following date; September 19th of the year X791; to be judged for your crime of treason by helping an escaped convict break out one of the most powerful dark guilds of all time, the Oracion Seis. Is that correct?" Another man said.

"Yes." Dorenbolt replied shortly.

"Let's move on then." Master Org spoke again. "Now, you'll be given exactly 10 minutes to make your defence, and then we'll have the vote before the final decision. You may begin."

"Okay." Dorenbolt took a long breath before beginning to make his case. He knew his chances of convincing any of them to innocent him were slim, but he needed to try. He needed to make them see the bigger picture and, most importantly, the bigger threat.

Before he could even begin, though, the door that Lahar had previously closed was opened as a frantic guard came in.

"I'm terribly sorry, but there's an emergency!" He yelled and many Council members gave him annoyed looks.

"What's the fuss about?" One of the asked.

"This better be important!" Master Org said whole giving the guard a warning look.

"There's an intruder, sir." Just as the last word was said, there was a bright, blinding light that made everyone in the room cover their eyes.

Outside of the building, a man watched the explosion that followed with a smirk on his face. "That was way too easy. Those boring humans don't stand a chance." Jackal, a member of Tartarus, delightedly said.

"This will be fun!" He laughed evilly, already thinking of his next course of action. It was time to put Tartarus' plan into action.

* * *

 

_At Fairy Tail's guildhall..._

"I still don't buy it!" Lucy stubbornly said, crossing her arms over her chest. She was sitting on a bench by Natsu's side while Juvia and Gray were in front of them. Ezra, Wendy, the Thunder Legion and the Strauss siblings were scattered close by as they listened as the the two cousins argued.

"I don't care. I believe her." Juvia shot back, not nearly as angry as the celestial wizard. Instead, she kept a calm compostura because she knew losing her cool would lead no where.

"Doesn't mean she's telling the truth." The blonde said, making the water mage sigh.

"We've had this argument before and I don't think we'll get anywhere." It was true. Ever since they had found out about the accusation that Daniel Lockser had attacked Layla Heartfilia, the two cousins had had a hard time agreeing on what might've happened. While Juliet's letter made Juvia even more sure her father hadn't done it, Lucy still had doubts.

"If you only there was someone who knew what really happened, but everyone who was there is dead now." Erza said, biting her lip in frustration. She, like Natsu and Gray, was sick of having the two girls constantly disagreeing on the matter.

"I think I might be able to help." There was a soft voice followed by a bright light before Loke appeared in front of them.

"Loke? What are you doing here?" Lucy curiously asked.

"Hey, gorgeous. Did you miss me?" He winked while giving his signature charming smile, causing her to roll her eyes.

"I'm right here, you know?" Natsu said, raising a brow while he unconsciously wrapped an arm around his girlfriend's shoulder. Lisanna and Mira watched this with knowing smiles.

"Really? I hadn't noticed." Loke replied, shrugging, before glancing between Juvia and Lucy. "So, as I was saying, I know a way for you to be sure of what happened."

"And that is?" Gray asked, giving him a puzzled look as well as everyone else.

"There was someone who has lived in the Heartfilia mansion for many years and she's very much alive." The celestial spirit explained.

"Oh, no." Lucy's face paled. "Please tell me this isn't who I think it is."

"I'm afraid so." Loke confirmed, nodding.

"Who are you talking about?" Juvia inquired, glancing between the two of them.

"I guess I don't have a choice then." The blonde dramatically said, taking one of her golden keys. "Thanks for the help." She turned to the orange haired man.

"No problem. Anything for you." He winked once again before disappearing.

"Lucy, what is going on?" Natsu asked her, confused.

"You'll see." There was a wary look on her face, not a good sign. She reluctantly picked a glass of water that Juvia had been drinking and placed the key inside. That's when it clicked and everyone shared unhappy looks. Now this was a spirit they never wanted to deal with.

* * *

 

"Are you kidding me?" Aquarius complained once she appeared in front of them, glaring at her contracted wizard.

"Hey, Aquarius." Lucy greeted, nervously smiling.

"What do you want?" The spirit crossed her arms and glared.

"I wanted to... I thought maybe you could..." Lucy stammered.

"We need your help." Juvia called and the mermaid turned around, her glare softening.

"With?" The bluenette smiled softly.

"We were wondering if you could tell us something about Lucy's mother." Aquarius face turned into a smile.

"Oh, so this is about Layla. I'm guessing you finally figured out who her sister was." Everyone stared at her open mouthed.

"Wait, so you knew?" Lucy incredulously asked.

"Of course. I was contracted with Layla ever since she was a child, and before that with her father, Henry. I never liked him, but I did like her sister. " Juvia's eyes were wide.

"So you knew my mother too?" She asked and Aquarius nodded.

"Why didn't you say anything? We've been looking for answers for weeks!" Lucy exclaimed, starting to get angry.

"Layla made me promise to keep it a secret and your father reinforced that." The celestial spirit shook her head, still disbelieving.

"So do you know what happened with Layla and Daniel Lockser?" Gray asked, getting to the point.

"Oh, I remember that guy. He was Juliet's secret boyfriend and definetly much better than the creep her father set her up with." Aquarius rolled her eyes and everyone's attention was on her.

"But what happened with Layla? Was he the one who attacked her?" Ezra asked before Lucy or Juvia could start questioning her on their grandfather.

"That was what Henry wanted Juliet to think, but I know the truth." There was a pause as everyone awaited while holding their breaths. Juvia smiled, relieved to know that her father hadn't attacked Lucy's mother. The celestial wizard bit her lip as she considered the possibility that Layla had lied.

"He was the one who summoned me that night, because he wanted me to check if Juliet had broken up with her boyfriend yet. Can you believe the nerve of that guy? Asking me to spy on his own daughter." She scoffed while shaking her head. "Thank goodness I wasn't contracted to him anymore. But anyways, while we were talking, Layla showed up, all bruised, looking like she had suffered an attack." Another pause.

"And? Who was it?!" Natsu impatiently asked.

"It was Juliet's fiancée, whatever his name was. I always knew the guy was a creep, but after he attacked Layla when she didn't agree to sleep with him, not even Henry would go on with this horrible engagement."

"I didn't see that one coming." Ezra said and Natsu and Gray nodded in agreement.

"So she did lie. It wasn't Daniel." Lucy couldn't believe it, she would'be never thought that her mother would do something like that.

"You shouldn't be too hard on your mother, Lucy." Aquarius said, giving her an unusual sympathetic look. "She was manipulated. If you want to blame anyone, pick Henry. He was the one who suggested that they placed the blame on Daniel." Hate crossed her face.

"He sure sounds like a total jerk." Natsu added.

"It's hard to believe you two are related to someone like that." Gray commented, glancing between the two cousins.

"And here I thought my father was difficult." Lucy said, shaking her head.

"I'm sure even he had his reasons." Juvia attempted to defend her grandfather, even though there was no reason to. If someone was the villain in this story, it was him.

"They weren't good ones." Aquarius said. "But that wasn't even the worst he did."

"I'm afraid to ask, but what else?" Lucy asked and her eyes narrowed in danger.

"After Juliet died, I could see he was drowning in guilt. He blamed himself, like he should. But instead of trying to be a better father for Layla, he just decided to pretend like it had never happened." They were a little confused.

"What never happened?" Juvia asked.

"The whole thing with Juliet. He had told everyone she died of illness, so a few weeks after the funereal, when her face stopped being the front of the newspapers and everyone began forgetting, he erased everything. Layla summoned me that day because she was worried he had lost his mind." A sad look crossed her face as she recalled it. "She found him in his office, surrounded by all the pictures of Juliet that were on the house. He made up some excuse like Juliet had dishonoured the family or something and so she shouldn't be considered a part of it anymore.

Layla tried to change his mind, but that man was just too stubborn. The only thing she managed was to convince him not to throw Juliet's belongings away. Her pictures were hidden inside a painting and hidentify away by magic while her dresses and other objects remained in the house. Remember that doll you used to love as a child? It was Juliet's."

Silence followed Aquarius' tale as everyone took in the truth about Henry Heartfilia.

* * *

 

_Meanwhile, by the beach..._

"Of course, I understand." Silver said, frowning as he faced Kyoka, one of the nine demon gates. They had arranged a meeting on a secure spot by the sea, hidden from the world.

"I'm certain you aren't too happy that Operation Face has begun already, but you wouldn't have been able to stop us anyways." She replied, a satisfied smile upon her face.

"I wasn't trying to." He lied and she raised a brow, but decided to ignore his comment.

"So, what is she like?" Upon seeing the confused look on his face, she clarified. "The girl. Is she as powerful as Lord Zeref seems to believe?"

"She's incredible." Silver replied, smiling proudly as he thought of Juvia. "You should warn Zeref that going after her is a terrible idea, she's much stronger than he imagined. He won't break her."

"Oh, I seriously doubt she'd be able to resist." Kyoka scoffed. "All she needs is a little pain and she'll do whatever he wants in no time."

"I don't think that he'll allow you to torture her this time." Silver stated, making her smirk disappear.

"You know nothing about what Lord Zeref allows me to do or not." She told him, eyes narrowed in anger.

"I don't care, I won't let you hurt her." The words came out before he could stop himself.

"Is that so?" The smirk was back on her face and Silver froze in fear. "What are you going to do, huh, demon slayer? Try to kill us all?"

"Maybe I will!" He hated himself for choosing that moment to stand up against her. This was a terrible idea.

"You shouldn't have said that." Kyoka warned, a dangerous look in her eyes.

Silver screamed when pain coursed through him and she smiled in satisfaction. Before he could use his magic to defend himself, it got worse and soon he found himself unable to stand. "You should have never defied Lord Zeref's wishes. Now you will pay the price." The demon said, taking out her whip and striking him on the shoulder. He screamed even louder as the pain was stronger than before. For a few minutes, that was all there was.

Silver tried to conjure up good memories of his son and a Juvia in an attempt to stay awake. He recalled their reunion many weeks before, the day he met them during the Games and many childhood moments happily spent with Gray and his beloved wife. Even a certain ice mage came to mind as he thought of the secrets they shared.

As much as he tried to resist, it was useless. He soon found himself exhausted and it wasn't long before his body dropped.

"That didn't take long." Kyoka watched his unconscious form with a satisfied smile. "Well, I must admit, you really surprised me, Silver. I thought that you were willing to do anything to keep your boy safe, but then you just had to go and defy me." She shook her head before erasing her whip only for a sword to appear in her right hand. "Now it's time to eliminate you, just like Lord Zeref predicted.

* * *

 

_A few hours later, at Fairy Tail's guild hall..._

It was night time and Juvia, Natsu, Lucy, Ezra, Wendy, Carla, Happy and Cana were enjoying a nice dinner together while chatting about the discoveries they had made earlier that day. They were still having a hard time believing that Lucy and Juvia's grandfather had done such horrible things and the celestial wizard was sufffering due to the knowledge that her mother had lied.

"Just let it go, Luce. It's in the past." Natsu told her before taking a bite of his sandwich.

"Yeah, it's no use dwelling on it now." Cana added; they noticed she had been acting rather weird that day. For starters, she hadn't had a sip of alcohol all day and she kept glancing towards where Lisanna and Elfman were talking by the bar. Something was clearly bothering her, but they knew better than to ask.

"I know, it just bothers me." Lucy replied, sighing. She had barely touched her food and it didn't seem like she'd be eating any time soon.

"Me too. So many secrets, why couldn't we just have a normal family?" Juvia said, frowning.

"What even is a normal family?" Cana asked.

"Don't know." Natsu shrugged.

"Look, the mail is here." Happy said and everyone glanced towards where Mira was receiving the letters. She thanked the mailman before closing the door and taking a quick look at them.

"Master, you have to see this." Her eyes widened in surprise and she ran towards the bar, where Makarov was talking to Laxus.

"What is it, Mirajane?" He stared at her in concern.

"We just received an emergency job request." She handed it to the master and his own eyes widened when he saw the client's name.

"My word!" Many guild members glanced towards them.

"What's going on, master?" Ezra asked, standing up and walking towards him. Juvia, Wendy, Natsu and Lucy followed her while Cana and the exceeds stayed on the table. The brunette took out her cards and looked at them worriedly, though no one noticed.

"Natsu, you and Gray have been requested to work together on this job." Makarov said and the dragon slayer frowned.

"Why do I have to work with him?" His complaint earned him a glare from the red head.

"Who's it from?" Juvia curiously asked.

"The client is one of the ten wizard saints, Warrod Sequen." Makarov explained and everyone's eyes widened.

"Then you must go." Lucy told her boyfriend, who was pouting.

"But I don't want to work with Gray. Why does he have to go too?" Another glare.

"Stop being such a baby." Ezra scolded.

"You should join us, Juvia. Maybe you and I can keep these two idiots from killing each other." The celestial wizard suggested, rolling her eyes. Before Juvia could accept, though, Mira spoke, turning their attention to her.

"I'm afraid you can't join this time, Juvia." Lucy frowned.

"Why not?" It was clear that the prospect of being alone with Natsu, Gray and Ezra didn't please her.

"You have an emergency request too." Mira handed the water mage a flier where it said "Water Mage needed".

"It's for Oak Town!" Juvia exclaimed, recognising her old home's name.

"I heard about what's happening there." Ezra said, a pensive look on her face.

"Me too. It's been raining nonstop for about 2 weeks now and they can't get it to stop." Laxus explained, arms crossed as usual.

"Guess it's the perfect job for me, then." The bluenette said, eying the flier.

"You should all leave in the morning. These jobs must be completed as soon as possible." Master Makarov advised and Ezra, Lucy and Juvia nodded their heads.

"I'll find Gray and tell him about it." The latter told them before turning around and walking away with the flier in hand.

Barely did she know, that seemingly simple mission would be the beginning of her end.

* * *

 

While everyone was listening to Master Makarov's news about Gray and Natsu's mission, two siblings talked in the corner. Lisanna Strauss looked happy as she teased her older brother, who was blushing.

"Stop it, Lisanna. What if Ever hears you?" The giant man whispered, looking around wildly.

"That would be even funnier." The 17 years old laughed even more.

"What would be funnier?" Both jumped at the new voice and looked behind them to see the Thunder Legion members were there.

"Nothing." Elfman quickly said, glancing fearfully towards his girlfriend.

"Nothing." Bixlow' babies repeated.

"Can't you make them shut up for one second?" Evergreen glared at him.

"Hey, don't take your anger out on my babies!" He complained.

"Why are you angry, Ever?" Lisanna asked while eyeing the brunette with a knowingly look, sure her older brother was the reason for it. Those two fought so much that sometimes it was hard to believe they were actually a couple.

"No reason." The fairy woman replied way too quickly.

"She's been like this all week, it was unbearable during our latest mission." Freed said, making her glare at him.

"Yeah, why are women so moody?" Bixlow added, ignoring Lisanna's own glare.

"You two better stop talking." Elfman said, a threatening look in his eyes.

"Thank you." Evergreen said, turning to him with a soft smile. "Now come on, we're taking a walk." He stared at her back dumbly for a moment as she began walking away. Only after his sister gave a slight push on his back did he move again to follow the brunette.

"Those two are just too cute." Lisanna whispered, smiling as Elfman wrapped an arm around his girlfriend's shoulders.

"If by cute you mean annoying, then yeah." Bixlow said, making her roll her eyes.

"You're just jealous because you don't have what they do." Freed pointed out, arms crossed and a ehebrews raised.

"Whatever." The other man muttered, sharing a meaningful look with Lisanna, who smiled even more.

They were all happy back then, unaware of the tragedies awaiting in the close future.

* * *

 

"Now this is relaxing." Gray whispered as he enjoyed the warmth and comfort of the hot springs. He was alone in Fairy Tail's favourite spot, a true miracle. Usually the place would be crowded, but everyone was either at the guild or on missions that night, so he had the place all for himself.

"I could just stay here forever." He sighed in content before closing his eyes, missing the moment a figure entered the room.

The water mage smiled upon seeing her boyfriend so calm and relaxed while a small blush coloured her cheeks as she remembered where she was. For nearly an hour she had searched for him everywhere until she recalled how he had mentioned that morning that he'd like to relax for a bit. Unsure what to do, Juvia just stood in the entrance for a few moments.

"Maybe I should..." She whispered, looking around to make sure no one was there so she could call Gray's attention. However, as she was about to call him, an idea came to mind and she smiled. They were alone in there, so they might as well make use of it.

So the bluenette closed the door behind her so no one could enter before slowly removing her heavy blue coat, letting it fall to her feet.

Next came her blue dress; where the flier for her job was stored; and then boots. It wasn't long before she was only clad in her underwear and Juvia felt nervous. Never before had she been without them in Gray's presence. Taking a deep breath in order to calm her racing heart, she quickly removed the last pieces of clothing before quietly walking towards the hot springs.

In his relaxed state, Gray didn't hear her, so he had no idea someone else was there. That is, until he felt a hand on his shoulder and almost jumped. "Juvia?!" He turned around to face his girlfriend, confused.

"Hey." She smiled and a large blush coloured his cheeks as he realized that she wasn't wearing anything. He reluctantly diverted his eyes from her exposed cleavage and looked into her eyes.

"What are you doing here?" His voice was still shaking a bit from shock and her smile faltered.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He shook his head.

"You didn't. I'm fine." She nodded silently.

"Okay." Gray once again tried his best not to look as she stepped away and sat by his side, arms covering her chest and a blush colouring her cheeks while she avoided looking at him.

A few minutes passed as both were lost in thought. Deciding to break the awkward silence, Juvia put on a smile before facing him. "This is really relaxing, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but you shouldn't be here." He hated himself the moment a hurt look crossed her face as her arms fell to the side, giving him a view that was hard to ignore.

"So you don't want me to be here?" He shook his head vigorously.

"That's not what I meant!" Taking a deep breath, he tried again. "All I'm saying is that the others could come in and see you." He motioned to her naked form and both blushed even harder.

"They won't." There was a smile on her face. "I locked the door and placed a sign outside with my magic."

"Oh, did you?" Now he was suddenly nervous. What did this mean?

"Yes. We're alone here." She swam closer to him before her arms slowly wrapped around his neck. "So we might as well make use of it." Gray stared into her eyes for a moment, seeking answers to questions that hadn't been asked. All he saw was love and desire.

"Yes, we should." A low whisper before his arms wrapped around her waist and he kissed her. She kissed back with as much passion and desire, hands going through his spiky black hair. His own hands explored her exposed back like they had done so many times before, but it was different. When they lowered to her legs and he traced the spot where her guild mark was, the nervousness came back. There was nothing above it this time, no barriers.

"We should.." He regretfully pulled apart, removing her arms from around his neck. "Stop." The word came out forced and strangled, it wasn't what he wanted.

"Why?" Juvia stared at him in confusion, breathing heavily.

"We should talk." She couldn't believe he was actually the one suggesting it.

"There's no need." She placed her hands on his shoulders. "I know what I want."

"Are you sure?" Gray stared at her, concerned. He knew it was a big deal for her; there was a reason why they hadn't done it before.

"Yes." Seeing his doubt, Juvia knew he must be wondering why. "Look, my life is a mess right now. The past few days have been chaotic, to say the least, with all these discoveries about my family. It seems as if nothing's right or simple anymore."

"I don't think it ever was." He said and she nodded.

"Maybe. But if there's one thing that isn't complicated right now, it's us." Her warm hand touched his cheek while she stared deeply into his eyes.

"I know that I love you. That won't become messy, because nothing can change my feelings. I'm sure of it." For a moment he just stared at her, taking in her words.

"I love you too." Gray chose to confess and her heart skipped a beat like it always did. "And nothing can change that either."

"Good." She smiled before eyeing him with even more desire. "Now show me just how much you love me."

Gray didn't waste time in kissing her again, hungrily. Her legs wrapped around his waist when he pulled her closer, their naked chests pressed together. Both moaned before he turned them around and led her towards the border. Once her back was pressed against it, his lips trailed a path from her neck, shoulders and down to her chest. While her fingers tightened around his hair, his own brushed against her guild mark once again; this time there was no hesitation.

In the moments that followed as they finally allowed themselves to find pleasure and comfort in each other, they were sure that nothing could keep them apart.

* * *

 

_The next morning..._

"Do you really have to go?" Juvia asked, arms wrapped around Gray's chest while she refused to depart from their hug.

"I'm sorry. If it were any other mission, I would pass." She sighed while burrying her head further in his chest.

"Gray, come on!" Lucy called, entering the guild. Natsu, Ezra, Wendy and the exceeeds awaited outside.

"That's my cue." The water mage reluctantly pulled apart from the hug.

"Promise me that you'll be careful." Gray smiled.

"Always." He leaned in for a kiss and she kissed back fervously.

"Come back soon so I can show you again just how much I love you." Knowing she was referring to what happened the night before, he blushed while his smile grew.

"I can't wait." They kissed again until Lucy called his name even more impatiently. So Gray removed his arms from her waist before a worried look came upon his face.

"What is it?" The bluenette asked, concerned.

"My father. Can you look for him before going to Oak Town?" Understanding crossed her face and she nodded.

"Of course." Silver hadn't contacted them since the previous morning, which was unusual. He would always let them know where he was, so they didn't worry that he might've been kidnapped again. The couple had decided to believe that the older man might be on a short trip to neighbouring towns and had forgotten to warn them, but that didn't stop them from worrying.

_The day before..._

_Kyoka had her arm raised and she was ready to strike Silver's unconscious form when a figure appeared. He had long, spiky blue hair and dark green eyes that watched her like a hawlk. The demon immediately stopped what she was doing and froze after spotting him._

_"What are you doing here?" A smirk appeared on his face._

_"I was just in Magnolia." He then turned to the unconscious body by the sand. "Is that Silver?"_

_"Yes." She replied, voice suddenly tense, while making the sword disappear._

_"I don't recall Zeref ever commanding you to dispose of him." His tone was calm, but threatening._

_"He didn't. But Silver has gone too far, he can't be trusted." The man watched the ice mage with interest._

_"Still, you should follow your master's orders." She didn't understand why he was stopping her._

_"Why do you care?" His smirked._

_"I have my reasons." He shrugged. "But mostly there's just no reason to kill him yet." Kyoka sighed, knowing better than to go against him. He was the only person besides Lord Zeref that could actually make her feel fear._

_"Fine, then. I'll take him back to the base." She lifted Silver's body with the help of her whip and got ready to take off towards Tartarus' hideout._

_"Good girl." She heard his mutter before leaving and anger bubbled inside her. If only she could strike him like he deserved, but he was the only enemy who she could never defeat and she knew it._

"I'm sure he's fine. But thank you for looking into it." Gray gave his girlfriend a smile before walking away. After taking a few steps, he turned around and eyed her in that intense, loving way she adored. "Goodbye, Juvia."

"Goodbye, Gray." Somehow, she had a feeling that this goodbye might be the last and her stomach churned at the thought. It was just a mission, he would come back home safely and they would be reunited in time for her birthday.

"But what if we're not?" The question plagued her mind for the entire morning and the feeling that something terrible would happen didn't subside.

* * *

**So, thoughts?**

**Did you like that little flashback scene with Gray, Ur and Lyon? I realized that I hadn't done any in this story yet.**

**What about the scenes with Lahar and Dorenbolt? I know they may have felt unnecessary and over-extended, but I think Dorenbolt deserved some focus since he's going through a though time.**

**About the twist with Henry being a celestial wizard, I took a look at the rules for contracts with the celestial spirits in order to be sure if he could actually summon Aquarius evem though their contract had ended. I didn't find anything, so for the sake of this story, let's assume it's possible.**

**I hope my explanations covered all your questions. You can check out the (UPDATED) timeline for Juliet and Layla's store for further information, but if any doubts remain, let me know.**

**On another topic, did you enjoy the Gruvia scenes? I want to let you know that the scene on the hot springs was based on an image that I found on tumblr, drawn by Hiro Mashima himself.**

**Lastly, it's finally for Tartarus's plan to be put into action. I sure didn't rush the moment, did I? But you'll have to wait for the sequel in order to find out what happens during the battle. I assure you that, just like Silver's story, it will be much different from the anime.**

**Can we try 830 hits for chapter 23? Please, you guys. We're so close to my goal of 1000 hits!**


	23. The Beginning Of The End

 

**Hey, you guys. Sorry this chapter took so long to get posted, I've been so busy writing the prompts for Gruvia Week that I didn't have time to work on Connections. Now that the week has ended, I'm back to my regular schedule. **

**Just a reminder: there are only two more chapters left for this story. However, as the tile says, this is only the beginning of the end. The sequel I have planned is already on the works and there's A LOT happening. So don't think that just because this book is ending, the story is over.**

 

**Happy reading! Don't forget to review, follow and favorite.**

* * *

Writing's On The Wall-Sam Smith

How do I live? How do I breathe?  
When you're not here I'm suffocating  
I wanna feel love, run through my blood  
Tell me is this where I give it all up?  
For you I have to risk it all  
Cause the writing's on the wall

* * *

Juvia was sitting on a table, barely eating her breakfast, when she heard a familiar voice. Turning around, she spotted her best friend entering the guild hall, followed by the familiar petit bluenette.

"Hey, everybody. We're back!" Levy yelled. She looked happy, which was a good sign.

"Hey, you two." Cana greeted them with a sly smile.

"How was your mission?" Mira asked. The two of them had suddenly decided to get a mission on the day of the wedding, so no one knew what happened there with them. However, judging by their hand holding and bright smiles, it was easy to guess.

"It was great! I got to kick some ass." Gajeel replied, smirking. "Speaking of ass-kicking, where's Natsu?"

"He went on a mission this morning." Mira explained. While the dragon slayer complained about Natsu's absence, the water mage stood up and approached him.

"So, now that you're back, you owe me some answers." She told him while crossing her arms.

"I don't think so." He replied, shrugging.

"Come on, Gajeel. Just tell her." Levy told him.

"Why do I have to do it?" He complained and she rolled her eyes before sighing.

"Fine." Turning to the water mage, her smile was as bright as the sun. "We're together now."

"Really?" Juvia's eyes were glowing with happiness. Gajeel confirmed with a nod while blushing a bit. "Oh, I'm so happy for you guys!" She threw her arms around both of them unexpectedly and the couple shared weird looks before embracing her.

"Okay, but that's enough hugging." The dragon slayer said after a few awkward moments. Juvia let them go and stepped away, eyeing them with the brighest smile on her face.

"You have no idea how happy I am that things worked out!" She turned to Levy. "For a moment there I was worried Gajeel would mess it up, you know?"

"Hey!" His protest was ignored.

"I can see why you'd be worried, but it worked just fine." The petit bluenette sincerely told the water mage. "I do wonder, though, how on earth you managed to convince him to be so..." She paused, searching for a word.

"Nice? Pleasant? Relatively romantic?" Juvia asked and she nodded.

"Yeah." Gajeel stared between them in annoyance, but they payed him no attention.

"I have a few tricks up my sleeve." The water mage replied with a smirk.

"You'll have to teach me sometime." Levy said and she nodded.

"I'm standing right here, you know?" The dragon slayer said and both women stared at him.

"We know." They said in unison and he rolled his eyes.

"I need coffee." He turned to his girlfriend, still glaring. "Do you want something?"

"I'll take a hot chocolate." He nodded before leaving the two friends alone, ignoring Cana's smirk and Mira's pitiful look.

"Women." The two bluenettes always drove him crazy, but he knew that without them, his life would have no meaning.

* * *

Juvia and Levy chatted for a few minutes before Gajeel returned with the coffees. His mood seemingly improved, he joined the conversation and soon they were excitedly discussing the mission Natsu's team had taken. The water mage still couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right and her concern for Gray's well being only grew.

"You shouldn't worry too much, he can take care of himself." The dragon slayer told her once she voiced it.

"I know, I just have a really bad feeling." Juvia replied, biting her lip.

"If you're so worried, why didn't you go with him?" Levy asked, confused.

"I wanted to, but I have an emergency request as well." She picked the flyer from her pocket and showed it to them.

"It's for Oak Town!" Gajeel said, immediately recognizing the name of their former guild's location.

"Yes. Apparently it's been raining nonstop there for the past few weeks and they don't know how to make it stop." The water mage explained.

"Strange." He said, eyebrows furrowed.

"It's certainly the perfect job for you." Levy pointed out and Juvia nodded.

"I don't know, something about this mission doesn't feel right." Gajeel said, still staring at the flyer.

"What is it?" The water mage asked, worried.

"It's like what you feel about Gray's mission." He explained before putting the it on the table. "You shouldn't go."

"I have to. It's an emergency." She protested.

"Then I'll come with you." Juvia shook her head.

"No, you just came back from a mission." She firmly told him. "Besides, you two should spend some time together."

"Maybe you're exaggerating. Juvia's more than capable of taking care of herself." Levy told him and before he could reply, the guild door was opened and a worried looking Lyon looked around wildly.

"Lyon?" Juvia called, standing up from her place and nearly dropping her coffee if Gajeel hadn't quickly grabbed it.

"Where is she? Is she okay?" The ice mage approached them, looking a bit crazy.

"You mean Meredy, right?" Levy asked and he barely looked at her.

"She's in the infirmary." The water mage told him. "She's alright."

"I won't believe it till I see with my own eyes." He replied before quickly thanking her and dashing towards the infirmary.

"What was that about?" Levy asked, curious. She was unaware of the situation with Meredy and Lyon, since the two had insisted that it was kept a secret. Only Gray, Juvia, Erza, Natsu and Lucy knew the truth.

"Those two are so in love." Mira said, swooning as her eyes glowed with happiness. However, there was a shadow behind them that no one noticed.

"I don't think so." Juvia said, shaking her head. There may have been a time when she suspected it, hoped for it, but after the past few weeks it seemed unlikely that there was anything between the two. They might be having a child together, but both had made it clear too many times that there were no feelings there. Part of her couldn't help but wonder if they were just lying to themselves, though.

"Even I can see it." Gajeel said, breaking her out of her thoughts about Meredy and Lyon's complicated relationship."What? I might be a guy, but I'm not blind." He quickly said after the women stared at him strangely.

"What have you done to him, Levy?" Cana asked, approaching them with no barrel in hand, a miracle. She sure had been sober for the past few days, which didn't go unnoticed by the guild, though no one questioned it.

"Anyways, I should get going if I wish to arrive in Oak Town while there's still light." Juvia went back to the table and grabbed the flyer; folding it carefully before placing it on her pocket.

"Promise me that you'll be careful." Gajeel stood up from his seat and eyed her worriedly.

"Of course." She gave him a big smile. "I'll be back soon. And when I do..." She looked between him and Levy. "I want details."

"Just go." He told her, blushing as much as his new girlfriend.

"Okay. Bye, guys." Another goodbye and the bad feeling returned. Juvia didn't know what was wrong with her, but it was clear something was about to happen.

A few hours later, as she looked back into that moment when she wished to know exactly what awaited in the future, she would regret it. Because sometimes knowledge brings nothing but pain.

* * *

_Meanwhile, at the infirmary..._

Meredy lay in the bed closest to the door, eyes closed and face pale. By her side, Porlyusica sat on a red chair while reading a book.

"Hey, I came as fast as I could. Is she okay?" Lyon worriedly asked once he entered the room.

"She will be. Now she just needs rest." The older woman replied, placing the book on a table before looking at him.

"What happened?" He asked. The letter he had received didn't specify Meredy's conditions, which didn't help easing his concern.

"There was internal bleeding." Porlyusica stated and his eyes widened.

"Internal bleeding?" He didn't need to be a doctor to know this wasn't good news.

"Yes." Porlyusica sighed before eyeing the unconscious girl. "I warned her many times not to use magic, but it seems she was desperate. She must have been trying to contact him." There was no need to specify who 'him' was.

"This isn't good." Lyon shook his head while sitting on a chair on the other side of the bed. "She's been too stressed lately, which isn't good for the baby."

"I'm afraid there isn't much we can do about it." The healer said, worry and frustration clear on her face.

"I know." It was his turn to sigh. "Until she knows that he's safe, she won't be alright." Movement coming from the bed caught their attention and their eyes turned to the pinkette. Her eyes slowly opened and she blinked a few times before they focused on Lyon.

"Hey, you're here." She sounded weak and tired.

"Porlyusica called for me." He replied before helping her sit up.

"She shouldn't be sitting yet." The older woman warned, standing up from her chair.

"I'm okay, grandma." Meredy told her with a weak smile.

"That's not true." Lyon told her, shaking his head while removing his arms from around her before sitting by the chair.

"It's clear you're not alright, child." Porlyusica added and the pinkette sighed.

"I'm sorry." She whispered before burying her head in her hands. The other two shared confused looks.

"What are you apologizing for?" The ice mage asked and it took a few moments for her to recompose herself and look at him.

"I know that I've been a burden for the past few weeks." He shook his head.

"That's not true either." Her eyes softened.

"You don't always have to come to me, you know? You shouldn't need to stress yourself by worrying about me." He felt almost offended that she'd say that after he had made abundantly clear that he wouldn't leave her.

"I promised to be by your side." He replied before taking both of her hands in his.

"I know." She smiled while staring at their joined hands. "I just don't want you to be feel forced to be here just because of the baby."

"Meredy, what do I have to do for you to believe that I am here by my own will?" Lyon asked, sick of having the same conversation over and over again.

"I'm sorry." She apologized again, tears brimming in her eyes, and he sighed.

"This isn't the time or moment for you to have this discussion." Porlyusica said, calling their attention to her. "It will only stress Meredy more and that's the last thing she needs right now."

"Of course." Lyon said, removing his hands. "Maybe I should go." It was clear that she didn't want him to be there.

"Before you go, there's something I have to tell you." Meredy said before biting her lip. A few seconds passed, but no words came out.

"What is it?" He worried. The look on her face indicated this wasn't good news.

"Jellal isn't the main reason why I've been so stressed lately." She revealed after sighing and he raised brows in confusion. If not Jellal, then who? "It's Ultear."

"Ultear?" He repeated the name, even more confused.

"Have you been thinking about her lately?" Porlyusica asked; she had been told about Meredy's adoptive mother weeks ago.

"Yes." Meredy nodded, a sad look crossing her face. "Soon it will be her birthday." Understanding crossed their faces.

"I understand now. You're anxious about spending the day without her." The pinkette nodded.

"We always did something together on her birthday. The thought of not having her there... it just brings back all the pain I felt when I lost her." The tears couldn't be stopped now.

"Oh, Meredy." Lyon whispered, heart hurting for her. Without thinking twice, he stood up before sitting on the bed and bringing her closer. As his arms wrapped around her and he whispered comforting words while she cried, he couldn't help but to feel like letting her go had been a big mistake.

* * *

Juvia arrived in Oak Town after a few hours, by lunch time. Just as she had been told, it was raining harder than she had ever seen. The streets were empty and it seemed many houses were as well. After taking out her pick umbrella, which she hadn't used in months, she followed the muddy path until the small hotel where she'd be spending the night.

"Okay, now it's time to get to work." She whispered while staring at the rainy town from her hotel window.

The view unsettled her because it reminded her of how her life used to be before Gray, Fairy Tail and the happiness she had found thanks to them. It reminded her of all the people she had lost because of the rain and the moments she would wonder why she had been cursed to be followed by it.

"No time to think about this." The water mage shook her head, getting rid of these unwanted thoughts. After taking a deep breath, she turned around from the window and exited the room. Once she was outside, she decided to go to a park near the hotel, where she and Bora used to go when they were dating. Before he dumped her because of the rain. It was ironic how thankful she actually was that it happened, because she would've never found Gray if they had still been together.

After sitting on the grass, she closed her eyes and concentrated as she tried to get the rain to stop. She thought of happy times as she allowed the magic to surge through her body. After a few moments of concentrating, she opened her eyes, only to be disappointed by the unwavering rain. "Really?" Taking another deep breath, she concentrated even more. More magic flow exited her body and went towards the skies, making it glow a bright blue, but still the water drops didn't stop.

"It isn't supposed to be so hard!" She muttered, frustrated. It became clear then that this rain wasn't even close to normal. No, it was definitely magical. The only question was, who was causing it and why? "Perhaps I should try to figure this out first." She stood up from her spot, using her magic to clean the mud from her clothes.

Locating the cause of the rain wouldn't be too difficult. Since she had a deep connection with water, she was usually able to identify other water mages, though that had only happened twice. It seemed that, just like dragon slayers and celestial wizards, water mages had become rare recently.

Using her magic once again, Juvia concentrated on trying to find the source of the rain. It took a lot less than expected and she gasped in surprise once realizing that it was close. Way too close. Opening her eyes, she looked around while keeping her guard up, ready to attack. The rain was falling so hard that it was impossible to see anything.

Then, all of sudden, it was gone.

Her eyes widened in surprise as it disappeared in the blink of an eye, the sun coming out mere seconds later. Except for the mud across the grass and the few drops coming from the trees, it was as if it had never rained there at all. "Strange." She muttered, still in a defensive position.

It didn't take her long to spot the man sitting on a tree branch, looking at her with a curious smile. His hair was dark blue and long, eyes a dark green color and there were blue markings all over his face and exposed chest. He wore a dark cape with red claws closing it around his neck and baggy pants. "Well, well, I must admit that I'm impressed." He whispered and Juvia just stared at him cautiously. He was the source of the rain, she could feel it. Why had he made it stop? Why had he started it in the first place?

"Who are you?" She asked, curious. She had never seen him before, but it was hard not to notice his immense magic power. It was even stronger than Erza's.

"That doesn't matter." He replied before jumping from the tree. She didn't miss the moment that his shoeless feet touched the grass and it faded away, becoming brown. Where had she seen that before?

"You were the one making it rain." Juvia accused, arms crossed over her chest.

"Yes. I'm impressed with how easily you figured that out." He replied before leaning against the tree. Once again, as soon as he touched it, it's green leaves disappeared and it became dark brown.

Her eyes widened once she remembered where she had seen this happen before. Flashes crossed her mind: Zeref standing in front of her as she lay on the ground with Meredy, the grass turning brown while the trees faded away, his regretful look as he stared at the destruction that he had caused, Zancrov's body dropping to the floor. "Impossible." How could it be that this man's power was so similar to Zeref's? This wasn't good. She should get away from there as soon as possible.

"I'm afraid you're not going anywhere." The man said as if reading her thoughts. She stared at him, fear and panic rising.

"What do you want?" Juvia yelled, unsettled by the fact that it was suddenly impossible to move. Something was gluing her to that spot. Magic?

"I knew you'd ask that." He replied, smirking while he took a few steps towards her. "So predictable." She stared at him, feeling more uneasy with every step he took.

"Stay away from me!" She screamed once he was too close for comfort. She attempted to use her magic to push him away, but it was no use.

"Don't worry, I have no intention of harming you." He was right in front of her now. "At least not today." The words sent shivers down her spine.

"I'm not afraid of you." She whispered, hating how shaky she sounded.

"And you shouldn't be. I'm not the one who wants to completely destroy you." He smirked once more as her eyes widened. What did he mean? "Now, I'd better finish this before he finds out what I'm doing and tries to stop me." He whispered to himself and she was confused.

"Who…" The question died on her lips because next thing she knew, his hand was touching her forehead and suddenly all she could feel was pain. Blinding, overwhelming, excruciating pain. It felt like her head was going to explode and she screamed.

"I'm sorry, but this must be done." She could barely hear his voice through the pain that made her fall to the ground as he helped her sit down. Her body felt like it was on fire and she felt sick. Why was he doing this to her? What did he want? "You must remember." He whispered and next thing she knew, the pain was diminishing, giving way to flashes of the past.

Long forgotten memories buried deep inside her mind and locked away for many years.

* * *

_All she could see was chaos, destruction. Everything seemed to have been turned to ruins and ash. The smell of blood filled her nostrils and she cried out as she tried to move away from the scene and find someplace safe, secure. The rain was falling harder than ever and though she was drenched from head to toe, Juvia relished in the fact that her oldest companion was still with her. At least she hadn't lost everything, she thought bitterly._

_After managing to get out from underneath the ruins that had almost buried her, she sat up and scanned over her injuries. She had been lucky, there were no signs of anything too serious, but she knew the reason for that. Looking behind at the dead bodies half buried, she felt like crying. But there was no time for that, she had to get away from there. So she stood up and started walking with difficulty._

_She barely took a few steps when she saw her. The mysterious woman standing just a few feet away, a serene expression on her face as if she was unaffected by the chaos around her. Juvia could't stop looking at the woman, curiously, and a feeling of safety filled her heart. She wasn't alone anymore._

_"Come, child."The woman extended a hand and the blue haired girl eyed her suspiciously._

_"Who are you?" She asked and the stranger smiled calmly._

_"I'm a friend." She replied simply to the girl's request and Juvia raised her eyebrows. Something told her not to trust this woman, but she didn't have much of a choice._

_"Are you a wizard?" She asked and the woman laughed._

_"I guess you could say that." She looked at the girl, softly, before adding. "Don't worry, I'll take you somewhere safe."Juvia bit her lip as she considered her options. She couldn't leave yet, not until she made sure there were no survivors._

_"But…I should look for…"The woman didn't let her finish._

_"There is no time. We must go now or else we'll follow the same fate."There wasn't a drop of fear in her tone as she pointed towards the bodies scattered around the place, but Juvia didn't think about it. All she wanted was to be as far as possible from there, somewhere safe. So she nodded._

_"Okay."She muttered and the woman smiled before they started walking away from the ruins, the rain still falling around them._

**(Flashbacks from chapter 11)**

* * *

"Please, stop." She whispered once tears began falling down her face as she recalled the worst day of her life.

"I know it's painful, but you must hold on." The man whispered just before another flashback began.

* * *

_"Who is this?" Juvia stared at the dark haired man in fear, his red eyes scared her._

_"She certainly looks like Juliet." A woman with long, sandy blonde hair said._

_"I didn't find her, master." The same woman who had brought her there said and the child stared at her curiously._

_"Are you saying our information was wrong?" Another man asked, he had dark skin and dark blonde hair._

_"No, I am completely sure that Juliet lived in that house." The dark haired man said._

_"If she did, she's certainly dead now." Another man with short blonde hair who wore a leopard like attire pointed out._

_"It is your job to figure it out." The other man said, looking between the 8 people in the room._

_"How? If you didn't find her, master, how can you expect us to do so?" The dark haired woman asked._

_"Ask the girl. She surely knows where her mother is." He suggested before disappearing._

_"Leave it to me. I'll make her talk in no time." The sand haired woman said while smirking. She took a few steps towards the scared little girl before grabbing her by the hair and taking her to another room. It wasn't long before screams echoed through the thin walls._

* * *

"No. I don't want to see anymore." Juvia grabbed her head and shut her eyes, hoping the flashbacks would stop.

They didn't. Instead more memories came rushing back so quickly she could barely comprehend them.

* * *

_"So it's true then. Juliet is dead." Zeref stood in front of the nearly unconscious child, the nine demon gates standing by his side. It had been a few weeks since they had began their attempt to find out where Juliet was and the answer had finally come as the young girl finally succumbed to the pain. They couldn't deny how impressive it was for her to hold off the torture for so long, but it had been clear from the start that this was no ordinary child._

_"What now?" Seilah asked, looking at him curiously._

_"I suppose I don't really have a choice." The dark wizard replied, eyeing the little girl warily. "I'll have to use her."_

_"But she's only a child!" Kyoka protested._

_"There is no way she can handle the task, master." Keyes warned, but Zeref shook his head._

_"I believe she can be strong enough. After all, she has more than showed us how unbelievably strong she is." The demons still looked uncertain._

_"But to become the new E.N.D? She's not ready." Tempester said, shaking his head._

_"I know that. But I'm certain that you can prepare her for that." Kyoka smirked while the others shared unsure looks._

_"Of course. Just give me a few months and I'll make her strong enough to endure the transformation." Zeref nodded._

_"I trust that you will keep her alive in the meantime. After all, she's our last chance of succeeding." At these words, Seilah frowned._

_"Are you sure we should rely solely on her, master?" Before he could answer, Jackal spoke._

_"Yeah, I'm sure we could handle the plan, so why do we need her?" The dark wizard didn't answer. Instead he looked back to the young child, a small smile on his face._

_"I have my reasons for choosing her." He turned to them, eyes suddenly flashing red. "I'm not asking you to question my orders, but to follow them. Is that clear?" The nine demons nodded, knowing better than to infuriate their master._

_What happened next, she didn't know, for that was the moment she lost consciousness._

* * *

"What the hell?" Juvia muttered to herself as she opened her eyes. She realized that the man who had made her memories return was suddenly gone, but didn't care. Not when she was so confused. After all, she had no memories of ever meeting Zeref in the past, yet there he was. How was that possible?

"He altered my memories." It wasn't hard to figure it out, but she still failed to understand why Zeref had made her forget his presence. And more importantly, why had he let her go? After all, he could've followed her after her escape, but he didn't. Why?

The answer came a moment later as yet another painful memory filled her mind.

* * *

_"What if this doesn't work?" Tempester asked Zeref as they stood outside of Juvia and Silver's cell. Both humans were unconscious, or at least that's what the demons believed._

_"It will." Kyoka confidently said._

_"We can't be certain of that. The girl hasn't proven to be strong enough yet." Seilah reminded her comrade, who glared._

_"She will be. My method never fails."The dark wizard spoke next, stopping their argument._

_"I know that, Kyoka. But I must be prepared for the possibility of failure." There was a pause as a frown appeared upon his face. "After all, this isn't the first time I've attempted to transform a mere human into an Etherion." They knew exactly what he was referring to and the memory of their failure to create E.N.D brought back anger and frustration from centuries before._

_"And what will you do in that case?" Tempester asked, looking bored._

_"I'll have no use of her." Zeref said, almost nonchalant._

_"Then we shall kill her?" Kyoka asked, a smirk upon her face as she relished in the thought of killing the child._

_"No." He firmly replied, shaking his head. The young girl that listened to their conversation while pretending to be asleep felt somewhat relieved to hear that they had no intention of killing her. Although she did wonder if death could be much worse than the constant torture she had suffered for the past few months._

_"Whatever happens, she will not be killed." The dark wizard gave his creations warning looks._

_"Why not?" Seilah asked, curious._

_"There's no need for that." He would never reveal the real reason why he had chosen Juvia and insisted on keeping her alive. It was his deepest secret and no one needed to know. "I'll allow her to live a normal life, away from here, in case she fails to become the new E.N.D."_

_"Isn't that risky, master? I thought you didn't want anyone to know that you're alive." Kyoka pointed out and he smiled._

_"Her memories will be erased, of course. I can't have her going around telling the world about my plans." By then it was very late and the blue haired girl found herself slipping into a dreamless sleep._

* * *

"An Etherion? E.N.D? What does it mean?" Juvia whispered once the flashback ended. Part of her didn't really want to know the answer, but she knew she had to figure it out. Whatever happened back then, it wasn't over.

She felt shivers down her spine as she remembered her meeting with Seilah a few months before, during the games. **(See chapter 6)** It was clear her memories of that night had been altered as well.

"I need to tell them. They have to know." She tried forcing herself to stand up, but it was no use. Her body was exhausted from whatever spell the mysterious man had placed on her. Where had he gone?

_Fairy Tail will be eliminated soon and quite easily, I'm sure._

Seilah's words echoed in her mind and fear rose. Could this be the bad feeling she had been getting that morning? Could her friends be in danger?

Pushing exhaustion aside, Juvia attempted once again to stand up. She managed for a few seconds, but it wasn't long before the world started to spin and she found herself falling to the ground, unconscious. The last thing she saw before the darkness overcame her was Seilah's face as she whispered the words that would haunt her mind for the past few days.

_I'm sure you'll be of much help in destroying Fairy Tail. After all, seeing you unlock your second origin has made me finally understand why you were chosen._

* * *

_Back at Fairy Tail..._

"Okay, now this is no joke." Gajeel said as he sat on the bench with Levy by his side.

"What's wrong?" The bluenette asked, worried.

"Juvia. Something's really wrong." Cana, who was sitting on the table next to them, rolled her eyes.

"If you're so damn worried about her then just contact her. I'm sure she'll tell you that everything's fine." She suggested.

"I would, but she doesn't want me to." He replied and Levy raised a brow.

"When did you ever listen when any of us told you to mind your own business?" He frowned.

"Hey, I do listen." Both women gave him disbelieving looks.

"Yeah, right. Need I remind you that time Juvia and Gray traveled together after the Games?" Cana said.

"I remember you were sending letters every day." Levy added, a smile on her face.

"I didn't know if I could trust the stripper back then." He argued before crossing his arms. "But this is different. I think she might be in real trouble."

"Then send her a letter. I don't want you to keep worrying about it." The petit bluenette told him, an understanding look on her face.

"I will." He nodded before a smirk came upon his face. "But first I recall you made me a promise and I'm collecting it now." It was Levy's turn to frown.

"What promise?" Cana looked between them curiously.

"Does it have to be now?" His smirk faltered.

"Your lack of excitement wounds me." Seeing his hurt expression, she put on a smile.

"I'm just kidding. Come on, show me what you've got?" Seeing Cana's curious expression, she turned to the brunette after standing up. "I promised to give my opinion on a new song he's been working on.

"Oh, good luck then." Gajeel glared at her.

"Excuse you, my songs are great." She gave him a clearly fake smile.

"Sure they are." Before he could say anything, the petit bluenette beat him to it.

"For the record, I love your songs." He gave her an unsure look.

"Really?" She smiled.

"Of course. I wouldn't agree to listen to them otherwise." A small smile came upon his face.

"Now this is why I love you. You're willing to make up crap like this because you know it makes me happy." While Cana looked surprised by his sudden confession, the petit bluenette smiled even more.

"I love you too." Then they were kissing and Cana looked away with an annoyed expression on her face. If only Bacchus was there, then she wouldn't feel so lonely.

She looked around the room and soon spotted Elfman and Evergreen at the back of the guild, most likely heading towards the supply closet. They had been caught there many times by their friends, but continued going anyways. "No surprises there." She whispered before standing up and walking away from the oblivious couple making out by her side.

Unknown to Cana or anyone else in the guild, the fairy woman and white haired man had indeed a surprise that would change many lives. One that they were about to reveal to Mirajane, who was supposed to be at the supply closet. Only thing is, once they arrived there to talk to her, it turned out she wasn't alone.

"Why now?" The she-devil asked the blonde man who stood in front of her, his back to the couple who watched them through the half-closed door of the supply closet.

"I don't know." Laxus replied, shrugging.

"This is the last thing I needed to hear." Mirajane whispered and the couple missed the surprised look on his face.

"I don't understand, Mira. I thought you…" She didn't let him finish.

"I can't do this. Not now." Tears were streaming down her face and Elfman wanted nothing more than to barge into that room and comfort her. Maybe beat the crap out of Laxus for upsetting her before that.

"Don't move." Evergreen warned and he nodded.

"What's going on?" There was concern in Laxus' tone as he took a step towards the crying mage.

"Please, don't do this." She cried even harder, her sobs echoing through the small room. "Just stay away." Hurt crossed his face, but he did as she asked.

"Okay. I'm far away, see?" He stood by the door of the closet, blocking the other couple's view of Mirajane.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to hurt you." She took a deep breath. "But I just can't handle this now."

"You don't have to handle anything." Laxus told her sincerely. "All I wanted was to tell you the truth."

"I know and I appreciate it. I just… I don't feel the same." She replied, voice shaking. His expression turned to pure heartbreak.

"I see." He swallowed hard before turning around; thankfully Evergreen and Elfman had been smart enough to hide while he had approached the door so he didn't see them. "Goodbye then, Mira." He walked away just as she had asked, leaving the crying mage behind. The other couple shared worried looks. What the hell had just happened?

* * *

_A few hours later, on Tenrou Island..._

"I had a feeling that I'd find you here." Zeref told the blue haired man who was sitting on the sand, his back turned.

"I was waiting for you." The man replied, not looking at him. The dark wizard followed the stone path until the middle of the beach.

"I saw what you did." The other man shrugged.

"I meant for you to see it." The dark wizard raised a brow.

"So you're taunting me." He paused, looking at the grave not far from where they were. "First you stopped Kyoka from killing Silver, now you've returned Juvia Lockser's memories."

"I'm sure you're wondering what I'm trying to achieve." The other man told him, smirking.

"I don't have to." Zeref calmly stated before crossing his arms. "I know you're hoping to stop me even though you're aware that fate can't be changed."

"Of course it can." The man replied, standing up. "And I will do everything I can to change hers."

"Why go after Juvia, I wonder? Couldn't you have found someone else?" He shrugged.

"I have my reasons for choosing her, just as you have yours." Zeref nodded to his response before sighing.

"I was hoping you'd stay back during the war. It doesn't concern you, after all." The other man laughed.

"Did you really expect me to stand by and watch you destroy this world?" He raised a brow and Zeref shrugged.

"Not really. I know that when it come to wars you just can't stay away." The words caused the other man's smirk to falter.

"I will stop you, no matter the cost." The dark wizard didn't even blink.

"You may try, but I should warn you that you'll only manage to exhaust yourself even further." There was a pause as a sincere look came upon his face. "You should stop fighting and just accept that this is the end, for both of us." The blue haired man shook his head.

"On the contrary, this is only the beginning." With one last threatening look, he turned around and began walking away, towards the grave where a bouquet of red roses had been placed earlier. "Goodbye, Zeref." He whispered, but the dark wizard heard him clearly.

"Goodbye, Acnologia." Shaking his head, Zeref watched him walk towards the tombstone where many secrets were buried.

* * *

**So, thoughts?**

**Did you enjoy GaLe scenes? There will be flashbacks in the sequel to the moment they got together.**

**What about Lyredy? It must be killing you seeing these two still not together. I'm afraid it will take a while for the big moment, but at least you'll be getting some cute scenes for now.**

**Just a side note: it was no mere coincidence that I mentioned Ultear and her upcoming birthday in this chapter.**

**Another side note: Does anyone like the Strauss siblings? Cause I have plots planned for all three of them. Things are changing, some for the best and some for the worst.**

**On another topic, what did you think of JuviaXAcnologia and the return of her memories? The reveal of her being the new E.N.D was supposed to be the biggest plot twist of this story, but I guess I kinda spoiled it in chapter 16.** **I hope the flashbacks scenes answered some of your questions.**

**What do you think will happen next? Will Juvia warn Fairy Tail in time?**

**Lastly, w** **hat are your thoughts on Acnologia?**

**Coming next: The last chapter of Connections. I can't say anything without spoiling it, so all I'll tell you is that it will be called Red, in honor of Taylor Swift's amazing and heartbreaking tune, and there will be a time jump.**

**Can we try 880 hits?**

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	24. Red

 

**Hey, people. How are you doing? I'm kinda of a mess. Can't believe I actually managed to come up with an ending for this story. Even though it's far from over, I never thought that I would actually write the last chapter of Connections. At one point I even thought that I'd spend over a year writing this and just give up in the end. Thankfully, that didn't happen. **

**I want to thank everyone who read this fic for** **joining me on this crazy ride. You know, writing fanfic is truly an amazing experience because you can not only see your writing improve as the story goes on, but you get to see how many plot twists you can come up with. There are some that I didn't use here, like Jellal being Henry (Juvia's brother). And the sequel will have some more.**

**I hope you'll enjoy Demons as much, or maybe even more, than Connections. From what I've planned so far, the story will be significantly different. In Connections I decided to focus more on the relationships and give you many sweet scenes with Gruvia, Jerza and Lyredy. ** **On the other hand, the sequel will focus more on the battle against Tartarus and the stakes will be raised A LOT. I'm talking death here, people!**

**Don't get me wrong, I love the way Hiro Mashima does Fairy Tail, with everyone coming out of the battles mostly uninjured, but I'm planning on doing a more realistic war. So there will be many casualties. In other words: no one is safe anymore. :0 :0**

**I'm rambling. Sorry, I got excited since this is the last chapter.**

**Happy reading! Or well, not so happy.**

* * *

Taylor Swift-Red

Losing him was blue like I'd never known  
Missing him was dark grey all alone  
Forgetting him was like trying to know somebody you never met  
But loving him was red

* * *

"Do you really have to go?" Juvia asked, arms wrapped around Gray's chest while she refused to depart from their hug.

"I'm sorry. If it were any other mission, I would pass." She sighed while burying her head further in his chest.

"Gray, come on!" Lucy called, entering the guild. Natsu, Ezra, Wendy and the exceeds awaited outside.

"That's my cue." The water mage reluctantly pulled apart from the hug.

"Promise me that you'll be careful." Gray smiled.

"Always." He leaned in for a kiss and she kissed back passionately.

"Come back soon so I can show you again just how much I love you." Knowing she was referring to what happened the night before, he blushed while his smile grew.

"I can't wait." They kissed again until Lucy called his name even more impatiently. So Gray removed his arms from her waist before a worried look came upon his face.

"What is it?" The bluenette asked, concerned.

"My father. Can you look for him before going to Oak Town?" Understanding crossed her face and she nodded.

"Of course." Silver hadn't contacted them since the previous morning, which was unusual. He would always let them know where he was, so they didn't worry that he might've been kidnapped again. The couple had decided to believe that the older man might be on a short trip to neighbouring towns and had forgotten to warn them, but that didn't stop them from worrying.

"I'm sure he's fine. But thank you for looking into it." Gray gave his girlfriend a smile before walking away. After taking a few steps, he turned around and eyed her in that intense, loving way she adored. "Goodbye, Juvia."

"Goodbye, Gray." Somehow, she had a feeling that this goodbye might be the last and her stomach churned at the thought. It was just a mission, he would come back home safely and they would be reunited in time for her birthday.

"But what if we're not?"

* * *

_About 6 months later…_

The rain was falling, harder than ever. Many would assume it was a simple storm caused by the excess of water in the clouds, but it was so much more than that. It wasn't regular rain, just as that day wasn't a regular day. Amidst the rain a young woman walked, slow steps as she looked around the crowded streets of Magnolia.

"Excuse me. Excuse me." She attempted to push through the people blocking her. Her hands shakily held onto the pink umbrella that protected her from the rain that she had caused, the constant drop of water that wouldn't stop until she knew they were safe.

She came to a halt as she spotted the familiar spot where the Fairy Tail guild used to reside. Her breath caught in her throat as she realized that it had become nothing more than ruins. "No." A broken whisper as she shook her head vigorously. "It can't be."

Before she knew it, she was running towards the ruins, praying, hoping that it was an hallucination or a terrible nightmare. It couldn't be real, Fairy Tail couldn't have been destroyed. Only a days before she had been there, and so happy. She suddenly stopped and her face contorted with pain as the memory of the last time she had seen her home came to mind.

* * *

_It was the day of her birthday and she had just returned to Fairy Tail. As soon as she entered the crowded room, she spotted him and a relieved smile appeared on her face._

_"You're safe. Safe." Gray turned to her, calling her name and she didn't waste time in separating the distance between them._

_"I'm so glad to see that you're alright." He told her while taking a few steps in her direction. As soon as he was close enough, she threw her arms around him, not caring who saw. He was caught off guard by the force behind the hug, but wrapped his own arms around her anyways._

_For a few moments they just held each other, content to be together again._

_"I was worried." She admitted once they pulled apart from the hug._

_"So was I." Gray told her while holding tightly onto her hands. "At least everything turned out okay in the end."_

_"Yes. I missed you." A pale hand touched his face and he smiled._

_"I missed you two." They leaned in for a passionate kiss as her hands held onto his face and his arms wrapped around her waist, bringing her closer. They were happy back then, content to be in each others arms once more._

_But they were unaware that in only a few hours they would be puled apart again and everything would change._

* * *

The sound of people screaming broke her out of her thoughts. She looked behind her where the crowd had been gathering, probably discussing whatever had happened to the guild. Part of her didn't want to know, it would only make it more real. And she didn't want to believe it, she refused to believe that they had been taken out so easily.

"They're not gone, they can't be." She whispered before taking hesitant steps towards the ruins. There were so signs of bodies, which was a good sign. However, considering an explosion seemed to have occurred, it made sense that everything would've been turned to ash.

She walked around for a while, inspecting the ruins while trying to calm herself down. She couldn't lose focus of what was important and determining whether her friends resided in the broken guild was crucial in order to figure out her next step. In the distance, the screaming continued, but she barely paid attention.

"Oh no." An uneasy feeling settled in her stomach as she encountered a pair of red glasses all too familiar. "Levy." She recalled how the bluenette was never seen without it and her heart constricted with fear. The loss of a body near the glasses left her with hope that Levy hadn't been wearing them during the explosion. She could be far away, safe.

The next object that caught her attention made her blood run cold and she fell to the ground, shaking. Pale hands grabbed it and she held it to her chest as the tears came running nonstop. Her mind tried to convince her that it was just like with the glasses, the person probably hadn't been wearing it at the time. She knew, though that it wasn't.

From the first time she had met him, it had become clear that he'd go no where without it. The only reason it could be on the ground was if…. She couldn't finish the thought. It was too unbearable. "Please, don't let it be him." She pleaded to whatever god was listening. She couldn't lose him, not now. Not when she needed him most.

The rain grew harder as her distress increased. Her hands held onto the necklace with the silver cross while she prayed that he wasn't gone.

* * *

"Juvia! Wake up, come on." The bluenette shot up in her bed as she was shaken by someone. She blinked a couple times to get used to the sudden brightness coming from the living room through the open door.

"What?" She whispered before yawning. "Where am I?" She instantly became agitated as the details of the dream came rushing back and delicate arms pushed her back against the pillows.

"Shh…. It's okay, you're safe." Levy's soothing voice helped her calm down as she took deep breaths.

"Sorry." Juvia whispered once she was feeling better.

"It's okay, I have them too." The other bluenette replied before taking her hand and squeezing it.

"It's always the same." The water mage admitted before sighing. "Why can't I dream of something else for a change?" Levy cast her a sympathetic smile.

"Trust me, I wish I could choose my dreams as well. At least Gajeel's there to calm me down." A fond smile came to Juvia's face as she thought about her best friend.

"Is he in the kitchen?" She whispered as she heard loud voices.

"Yes. I left him alone with Henry, so you'd better change fast so we can go there." Her eyes widened at Levy's response and she jumped from the bed, making her friend laugh. "I was kidding."

"This is no joke, leaving Gajeel alone with a child can lead to disaster. You didn't do that during the weekend, did you?" The petit woman laughed.

"No, I was with them most of the time." Juvia sighed while putting on a robe above her nightgown. "Okay, let's go." The other bluenette followed her out of the room and towards the kitchen.

"Seriously, kid? You've never rode on a dragon? It's so cool." They could hear the dragon slayer teasing the small child and Levy rolled her eyes.

"I want to see a dragon, uncle Gajeel. Will you show me?" The young boy excitedly replied.

"I don't know, buddy. How about you go flying with Panther Lily instead?" Gajeel quickly tried to change the subject and the two women arrived at the kitchen just as Henry shook his head and pouted.

"No, I want to see a dragon." Juvia laughed at his antics, making her presence known. As soon as he saw her, the small boy with dark hair and eyes smiled before hopping out of his seat and running towards her.

"Mamma! You're awake!" She knelt down so that his small arms could wrap around her neck before standing up.

"How are you, sweetheart? Did you have a good time with uncle Gajeel and aunt Levy?" The little boy nodded.

"Yep. Uncle let me try eating iron, but it wasn't yummy." He frowned and Juvia glared towards her best friend.

"You let him eat iron?" He gave her a guilty smile.

"For the record, I was out of the room when that happened." Levy put in while glaring at her boyfriend.

"Cut me some slack, I was just trying to see if the kid could have metal related powers." He attempted and the water mage raised an eyebrow.

"Why on earth would you think that?" She asked while placing Henry back on his seat and moving towards her own seat.

"Did you forget his mom was an ice mage?" Levy reminded him and he shrugged.

"Wouldn't hurt to have someone use metal magic. It sucks being the only one." Their looks softened and Juvia smiled while picking the glass of coffee from his hands.

"I get you." She told him before taking a sip.

"So, what's on schedule for today?" Levy asked, curious.

"I don't know. I guess we'll go visit Mira, she's been anxious to see Henry again." The water mage told them and Henry let out a celebrating shout.

"You really like Mira, don't you?" The petit bluenette asked, smiling.

"Yeah! Aunt Mira always has chocolate." Juvia smiled before yawning.

"Maybe you should try getting more sleep, we can take him to the guild." Gajeel suggested and she shook her head.

"No, I can't go back to bed." She bit her lip as the memories from her nightmare came back. "I wish there was a way to stop the nightmares."

"Me too." Levy said while placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Maybe you should go on a mission, distract yourself a little." Juvia shook her head once again.

"I already went on one two weeks ago. Now I'd rather spend some time with Henry. After all, I promised his mom that I would watch over him and I can't break that." They were silent, understanding. It had been a while since Juvia had come to the guild with the little boy in tow, telling them she couldn't just leave him all by himself. They knew she wanted to prevent his childhood from becoming the same as hers and they respected that.

"Mamma, I'm finished. Can I go play now?" The child in question asked, breaking the three adults out of their thoughts.

"Okay. I'll be there in a moment." Henry wrapped his arms around her in a quick hug before running towards the couch, where his few toys were. They watched him play for a few moments before Gajeel said something he knew he shouldn't have.

"Man, he looks so much like Gray that I'd totally buy it if you said he's your biological child." Levy cast him a warning look as Juvia's face fell.

"Gajeel." She muttered, but the damage was already done. The water mage began nervously playing with the silver necklace that used to belong to Gray while frowning.

"Sorry, Juvi. I didn't mean to…" She raised a hand to stop Gajeel's apology.

"It's okay." She took a sharp breath. "I miss him, but it's gotten better."

"That's good to hear. I know he wouldn't want you to suffer." Levy said and the bluenette managed a weak smile.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt." With that said, she stood up from the table and briefly nodded in their direction before joining Henry on the floor. As Gajeel and Levy watched her play with her son, they couldn't help but feel anger towards the absent ice mage. How dare he leave Juvia alone, even less with their child?

* * *

"We should do something." The dragon slayer whispered.

"We've already tried everything. There's only one solution left and we both know it won't happen anytime soon." The petit woman replied.

"So what the hell do we do?" She sighed.

"Talking about the nightmares would definitely help." A frown crossed her face as she recalled her own nightmares. "After all, the war against Tartarus has left scars on all of us, even after so long. We've all lost someone there." Two faces crossed her mind of her best friends. They were two brave men that would've done anything to save her. And they had. They had protected her and it had cost them their lives.

Gajeel also recalled the people who he had lost and well, there was only one. Someone who had made a huge impact in his earlier life and helped him see the error of his ways. She hadn't been exactly a friend or family, but she had been important. But she had been killed, just as many others, by the vicious demons Zeref had created.

"That was one hell of a battle." He said and Levy nodded.

"I didn't think Fairy Tail would ever face an enemy that could tear us apart, but they did a good job." She found a picture that rested on the shelf above the sink. Reedus had painted it many months before, right after Grand Magic Games. All members of Fairy Tail were smiling there, but those smiles didn't last for long.

Besides that picture, there was one of Juvia's parents that she had recovered from her grandma's house. Levy didn't understand why she kept them there when it must only remind her of all she had lost. But the script mage knew that when you have no family, even a picture can help with the emptiness of being alone.

While her friends talked, Juvia watched with a smile as Henry told her about his weekend spent at Gajeel and Levy's place. The little boy had easily became acquainted with most of the members of the guild, at least the ones that still lived. The thought of those who had been lost made her smile fall and she shook her head, trying to think about something else.

She needed to be strong now, for her son. Even if he wasn't biologically hers, the connection between she and Henry was deep and she'd do anything to make sure he was happy. When she was at her lowest, he had come into her life and made everything better, brighter. The least she could do was return the favor by taking good care of him.

"And I will." She whispered while giving him his favorite stuffed toy: a black cat similar to Panter Lily, since the young boy was obsessed with the exceed. Henry smiled before taking the animal and hugging him tightly.

"We'll be okay, won't we, mamma?" The little boy asked. Even though he was only a child, it was hard not to pick up on everyone's sore mood lately.

"Of course, baby. In time, everything will be okay." Juvia told him, managing a small smile. She could only hope that time would heal the wounds of the past and allow her to focus on the future. Too bad she didn't know that very soon those wounds would be reopened as a dark plan was set into motion.

* * *

**So, what are your thoughts?**

**I'm sure everyone's confused about Henry and where he came from. Don't worry, his backstory will be explained in the future.**

**To tell you the truth, my original plan didn't involve him, but I was dying to do Gruvia with a child and so when the opportunity came, I took it.**

**Speaking of Gruvia, what do you think happened with Gray? Why isn't he there with them?**

**And lastly, what do you make of Juvia's nightmare? Is it only a dream?**

**COMING NEXT:** **Demons** **. The sequel will cover everything I had to leave out in** **Connections** **, from Zeref's full backstory to Acnologia, Silver's backstory and the resolution to the battle against Tartarus. You'll get to understand what happened during those six months and where are the other important characters that I purposely left out in this epilogue.**

**While you wait for me to post it, I'm leaving you with two** **gifts that will (hopefully) get you excited for the sequel.**

**1- The summary :**  After the reveal of Juvia and Lucy's connection, they thought there were no more secrets to be uncovered. However, the war against Tartarus brings out many stories still untold. Juvia, Silver, Natsu and even the Strauss siblings find themselves haunted by the past. Will the future be as Carla predicted? Gruvia, Jerza, Lyredy, ElfEver, GaLe. (Connections Sequel)

**2-A little sneak peek of the first chapter, which is partially written:**

"If there was someone behind it, that changes everything." Gray said and Gajeel nodded.

"I've been telling you that something about this mission didn't feel right." He gave a pointed look towards his girlfriend.

"What should we do, master? Should we go there and help her?" Erza asked and Makarov shook his head.

"No. You just returned from a difficult mission of your own, you should rest." He turned to the iron dragon slayer before he could say anything. "It's been two days since she left. I have no doubt that she'll arrive in time for her birthday, so why don't we wait until 1 PM and if she's not here you can go?"

"Fine." Gajeel sighed and Levy placed a comforting hand on his arm.

"She'll be fine." She whispered reassuringly.

"You've said that many times for the past two days." A pause. "I won't believe until I see it with my own eyes." He looked at Gray, knowing the ice mage was the only one who felt the way he did.


End file.
